OCT  19  191ft 


BL  80  .S66  1918 

Soper,  Edmund  Davison,  1876 

1961. 
The  faiths  of  mankind 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2008  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/faithsofmankindOOsope 


THE  FAITHS  OF  MANKIND 


BOOKS  IX  THE  SERIES 

First   Year: 

Part  I — Student  Standards  of  Action,  by  Harrison  S.  Elliott 
and  Ethel  Cutler. 

Part  II — Christian   Standards  in  Life,  by  J.  Lovell  Murray 
and  Frederick  M.  Harris, 

Second   Year: 

Part  I — A  Life  at  Its  Best,  by  Richard  Henry  Edwards  and 
Ethel  Cutler. 

Part  II — A  Challenge  to  Life  Service,  by  Frederick  M.  Harris 
and  Joseph  C.  Robbins. 

Third   Year: 

Part  I — (In  course  of  preparation.) 

Part  II — The  Faiths  of  Mankind,  by  Edmund  D.  Soper. 

Fourth  ]'ear: 

Part  I — The  Social  Principles  of  Jesus,  by  Walter  Rauschen- 
busch. 

Part  II — Christianizing  Community  Life,  by  Harry  F.  Ward 
and  Richard  Henry  Edwards. 


y 


COLLEGE    VOLUNTARY    STUDY    COURSES 


THIRD  YEAR— PART  irN3>Xv'^"'  ^^  ^^^^CS/^ 

(       OCT  19  191R 

THE 
FAITHS  OF   MANK 


Edmund'  Davison  Soper 


By 

AVI 

Professor  in  Drew  Theological  Seminary 


Written  under  the  direction  of 

Sub-Committee  on  College  Courses 

Sunday  School  Coltncil  of  Evangelical 

Denominations 

AND 

Committee  on  Voluntary  Study 
Council  of  North  American  Student  Movements 


ASSOCIATION    PRESS 

New   York:    124    East  28th    Street 
1918 


Copyright,  1918,  bt 

The  International  Committee  of 

Young  Men's  Christian  Associations 


The  Bible  text  printed  in  short  measure  (indented  both  sides)  is  taken  from 
the  American  Standard  Edition  of  the  Revised  Bible,  copyright,  1901,  by 
Thomas  Nelson  &  Sons,  and  is  used  by  permission. 


CONTENTS 

Chapter  Page 

I .  Where  Fear  Holds   Sway i 

II .  Who  Is   My  Brother? 15 

III .  Like  Gods,  Like  People 27 

IV.  Vanity  of  Vanities,   All  Is  Vanity 43 

V.  The  Wheel  of  the  Excellent  Law 58 

VI .  Honor  Thy  Father  and  Thy  Mother 72 

VII .  Religion  and  Patriotism 87 

VIII .  We  Have  Abraham  to  Our  Father 100 

IX.  A  Prophet  Who   Missed  the  Way 11 1 

X .  There  Is  No  God  but  Allah 125 

XI .  The  Dream  of  Religion  Come  True 140 

XII .  What  Manner  of  Man  Is  This? 153 


COLLEGE  \'OLUXTARY  STUDY  COURSES 

"The  Faiths  of  Mankind"  takes  sixth  place  in  a  series  of 
text-books  known  as  College  Voluntary  Study  Courses.  The 
general  outline  for  this  curriculum  has  been  prepared  by  the 
Committee  on  Voluntary  Study  of  the  Council  of  North 
American  Student  Movements,  representing  the  Student 
Young  Men's  and  Young  Women's  Christian  Associations 
and  the  Student  Volunteer  Movement,  and  the  Sub-Com- 
mittee on  College  Courses  of  the  Sunday  School  Council 
of  Evangelical  Denominations,  representing  twenty-nine  com- 
munions. Therefore  the  text-books  are  planned  for  the  use 
of  student  classes  in  the  Sunday  school,  as  well  as  for  the 
supplementary  groups  on  the  campus.  The  present  text-book 
has  been  written  under  the  direction  of  these  Committees. 

The  text-books  are  not  suitable  for  use  in  the  academic 
curriculum,  as  they  have  been  definitely  planned  for  voluntary 
study  groups. 

This  series,  covering  four  years,  is  designed  to  form  a 
minimum  curriculum  for  the  voluntary  study  of  the  Bible, 
foreign  missions,  and  North  American  problems.  Daily  Bible 
Readings  are  printed  with  each  text-book.  The  student  view- 
point is  given  first  emphasis — what  are  the  student  interests? 
what  are  the  student  problems? 


INTRODUCTION 

This  book  is  intended  for  those  who  have  never  made  a 
study  of  the  religions  of  the  world.  The  purpose  has  been  to 
present  the  various  religions  in  such  a  manner  as  to  create 
intelligent  and  sympathetic  interest  in  every  form  of  reli- 
gion. The  attempt  to  make  this  volume  conform  to  the  other 
volumes  of  this  series  has  been  by  no  means  easy.  This  has 
been  felt  in  three  particulars. 

1.  The  need  of  daily  Bible  readings  has  been  recognized 
and  they  have  been  provided,  but  they  are  of  necessity  very 
short.  The  fact  that  in  each  case  they  deal  with  some  phase 
of  the  religion  under  consideration  should  count  for  some- 
thing in  making  up  the  loss  of  a  more  extended  reading. 

2.  The  division  of  the  book  into  twelve  chapters  of  about 
equal  length  has  rather  arbitrarily  determined  the  number  of 
religions  treated.  When  in  four  cases  two  chapters  have 
been  given  to  a  single  religion  the  limitation  is  the  more 
evident.  It  was  quite  obvious  that  only  living  religions  should 
be  included,  but  when  living  faiths  like  Zoroastrianism  and 
Jainism  are  excluded  the  drawback  of  the  method  is  very 
apparent. 

3.  More  difficult  has  been  the  effort  to  make  possible  a 
correct  and  adequate  acquaintance  with  the  religions  pre- 
sented. Much  has  had  to  be  omitted  which  is  necessary  to 
a  full  understanding  of  the  religions.  Almost  no  references 
have  been  made  to  religious  literature  and  very  few  to  the 
cults.  The  aim  has  been  to  convey  as  clearly  as  possible  the 
meaning  of  these  religions  to  their  adherents,  and  to  point 
out  their  effects  on  life  and  character.  The  religions  have 
been  presented  in  their  historical  devlopment  as  the  only 
method,  even  in  a  brief  sketch,  of  understanding  their  sig- 
nificance. 


viii  INTRODUCTION 

The  need  of  an  introductory  chapter  has  been  keenly  felt, 
in  which  the  proper  attitude  of  those  who  are  Christians 
toward  adherents  of  other  faiths  might  be  shown.  It  is 
hoped  that  the  spirit  of  the  book  and  the  method  used  will 
make  clear  what  is  not  thus  formally  stated.  The  writer 
can  only  say  here  that  while  he  is  firmly  convinced  of  the 
uniqueness  of  Christianity  and  looks  upon  it  as  the  final 
faith,  he  cannot  but  feel  that  in  every  religion  men  have  been 
trying  to  find  the  true  God  and  are  reaching  out  after  Him 
who  "by  divers  portions  and  in  divers  manners"  has  mani- 
fested Himself  to  men  of  all  faiths.  Realizing  this,  the  only 
attitude  of  a  Christian  is  that  of  sympathy — a  sympathy  the 
more  deep  and  full  of  pity  that  the  need  of  Jesus  Christ  is  so 
universally  present. 

(For  every  subject  dealt  with  in  this  volume  the  great 
mine  of  information  is  "The  Encyclopedia  of  Religion  and 
Ethics,"  edited  by  James  Hastings,  the  articles  in  which  are 
contributed  by  authorities  on  the  various  subjects  treated.) 


CHAPTER  I 

WHERE  FEAR  HOLDS  SWAY 

Where  shall  we  begin  in  this  study  of  the  faiths  of  man- 
kind? Shall  it  be  with  the  more  developed  faiths,  like 
Buddhism,  Islam,  and  Christianity?  Why  not  begin  with 
religion  in  its  simpler  forms,  religion  as  found  among  the 
savage  or  uncivilized  peoples  of  the  world?  The  religion 
of  the  primitive  peoples  is  largely  a  religion  of  fear.  It  will 
prove  helpful  before  studying  primitive  religion  itself  to 
discover  the  attitude  toward  fear  taken  by  Hebrew  and 
Christian  writers  in  the  Bible. 

Daily  Readings 

First  Day  :  Is  it  true  that  fear  and  dread  destroy  the 
happiness  of  many  of  the  men  and  women  you  know? 
Looking  at  the  surface  facts  this  seems  to  be  a  pretty  strong 
assumption.  But  can  we  judge  by  what  we  ordinarily  see  and 
hear?  Joy  cannot  be  hidden,  but  fear  can.  Were  we  to  know 
what  is  going  on  in  the  inner  hearts  of  men,  what  a  revela- 
tion it  would  be!  \/e  might  find  many  whose  experience 
would  match  that  of  Job: 

Wherefore  is  light  given  to  him  that  is  in  misery, 

And  life  unto  the  bitter  in  soul ; 

Who  long  for  death,  but  it  cometh  not, 

And  dig  for  it  more  than  for  hid  treasures?    .    .    . 

For  the  thing  which  I  fear  cometh  upon  me. 

And  that  which  I  am  afraid  of  cometh  unto  me. 

I  am  not  at  ease,  neither  am  I  quiet,  neither  have  I 

rest; 
But  trouble  cometh. — Job  3 :  20,  21,  25,  26. 

If  such  experiences  are  to  be  found  ^mong  ourselves,  what 

I 


[1-2]  THE  FAITHS  OP  MANKIND 

must  be  those  of  the  crude  backward   peoples,   whose  gods 
are    unfriendly    and    malevolent? 

Second  Day  :  Fear  disqualifies  a  man  for  constructive  work. 
What  can  you  do  with  a  terrified  man?  Nothing  until  he  is 
pacified  and  calmed.  Even  where  lesser  fears  prevail,  such 
as  dread  and  anxiety,  usefulness  is  curtailed.  What  is 
needed?  Is  it  not  confidence  and  courage,  like  that  Joshua 
was  told  to  have? 

Be  strong  and  of  good  courage;  be  not  affrighted, 
neither  be  thou  dismayed :  for  Jehovah  thy  God  is 
with  thee  whithersoever  thou  goest. — Josh,  i  :  9. 

Such  courage  comes  to  a  Christian  through  confidence 
in  God  and  his  protection.  To  him  God  is  good.  Many  a 
man  in  the  worst  kind  of  trouble  has  been  able  to  repeat  the 
reassuring  words,  "The  eternal  God  is  thy  dwelling-place, 
and  underneath  are  the  everlasting  arms"  (Deut.  32)  •^7)' 
What  would  it  mean  to  you  to  have  this  invincible  con- 
fidence in  God's  goodness? 

Third  Day  :  There  is  another  and  deeper  kind  of  fear 
which  comes  to  men — that  caused  by  a  troubled  conscience. 
Can  peace  come  and  the  fine  flowers  of  character  grow,  with 
this  unhealed  sore  in  the  life?  Notice  the  contrasts  of 
peace  and  distress  in  Psalm  32 : 

Blessed   is  he  whose  transgression    is    forgiven, 

Whose  sin   is  covered. 

Blessed  is  the  man  unto  whom  Jehovah  imputeth  not 

iniquity, 
And  in  whose  spirit  there  is  no  guile.    .     .     . 
I  acknowledged  my  sin  unto  thee, 
And  mine  iniquity  did  I  not  hide: 
I  said,  I  will  confess  my  transgressions  unto  Jehovah; 
And  thou   forgavest  the  iniquity  of  my  sin. — Psalm 

32:1,  2,  5. 

In  the  New  Testament  the  terribleness  of  sin  is,  if  pos- 
sible,   intensified.      Could    any    one    except   a    man   who   had 

2 


WHERE  FEAR  HOLDS  SWAY  [I-4] 

known  the  terrors  of  a  troubled  conscience  have  written  that 
vivid  verse,  "It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the 
living  God"  (Heb.  10:  31)?  Is  a  man  justified  in  being 
afraid  if  he  has  a  bad  conscience? 

Fourth  Day:  One  of  the  great  words  in  the  Bible  is  'Tear 
not."  The  place  of  fear  is  to  be  taken  by  peace.  What  is 
peace?  Can  we  not  look  on  it  as  a  kind  of  atmosphere  in 
which  everything  good  can  grow?  Here  is  an  idyllic  picture 
of  the  "good  day  coming"  when  peace  shall  reign. 

And  the  wolf  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the 
leopard  shall  lie  down  with  the  kid;  and  the  calf  and 
the  young  lion  and  the  fatling  together;  and  a  little 
child  shall  lead  them.  .  .  .  For  the  earth  shall  be 
full  of  the  knowledge  of  Jehovah,  as  the  waters 
cover  the  sea.     Isa.  11:6,  9. 

Can  you  see  even  through  the  thick  clouds  of  the  world 
war  the  possibility  of  a  day  like  that?  And  for  us  as  indi- 
viduals today  we  have  Jesus'  word,  "Peace  I  leave  with  you ; 
my  peace  I  give  unto  you.  .  .  .  Let  not  your  heart  be 
troubled,  neither  let  it  be  fearful"  (John  14:  27).  John  goes 
a  step  farther. 

There  is  no  fear  in  love;  but  perfect  love  casteth 
out  fear,  because  fear  hath  punishment;  and  he  that 
f eareth  is  not  made  perfect  in  love. — I  John  4 :  18. 

What  kind  of  love  is  it  that  can  exterminate  fear?  Where 
does  it  begin? 

Fifth  Day:  There  is  a  fear  which  is  quite  different:  it  is 
the  fear  which  is  synonymous  with  awe  and  reverence,  re- 
spect for  rightful  authority,  deference.  Consider  how  dif- 
ferent your  attitude  is  when  possessed  by  this  kind  of  fear. 
It  actually  ceases  to  be  fear  in  the  ordinary  sense.  "Ye  shall 
fear  every  man  his  mother,  and  his  father"  (Lev.  19 -3). 
surely  points  to  a  very  different  experience  from  that  of 
fear  in  the  previous  readings.     "Honor  all  men.     Love  the 

3 


[I-6J  TUB  I'AirHS  OF  MANKIND 

brotherhood.     Fear  God.     Honor  the  king"   (I   Peter  2:17). 
What  does  fear  mean  in  these  two  verses? 

Sixth  Day:  "The  fear  of  Jehovah  is  the  beginning  of  wis- 
dom" (Prov.  9:10).  What  place  should  respect  and  rever- 
ence play  in  life?  Could  the  state  continue  to  exist  without 
respect  for  law  and  constituted  authority?  Can  a  friend- 
ship be  strong  and  wholesome  unless  based  on  respect  and 
reverence?  Can  individual  character  be  built  on  any  founda- 
tion but  that  of  self-respect?  With  these  questions  in  mind, 
consider  how  the  fear  of  Jehovah  may  be  said  to  underlie 
all  these  other  kinds  of  fear.  Read  the  account  of  Isaiah's 
call.  What  was  his  attitude  in  God's  presence?  To  what 
did  it  lead? 

In  the  year  that  King  Uzziah  died  I  saw  the  Lord 
sitting  upon  a  throne,  high  and  lifted  up;  and  his 
train  filled  the  temple.  Above  him  stood  the  sera- 
phim :  each  one  had  six  wings ;  with  twain  he  cov- 
ered his  face,  with  twain  he  covered  his  feet,  and  with 
twain  he  did  fly.  And  one  cried  unto  another,  and 
said,  Holy,  holy,  holy,  is  Jehovah  of  hosts:  the  whole 
earth  is  full  of  his  glory.  And  the  foundations  of 
the  thresholds  shook  at  the  voice  of  him  that  cried, 
and  the  house  was  filled  with  smoke.  Then  said  I, 
Woe  is  me!  for  I  am  undone;  because  I  am  a  man  of 
unclean  lips,  and  I  dwell  in  the  midst  of  a  people  of 
unclean  lips:  for  mine  eyes  have  seen  the  King,  Je- 
hovah of  hosts. 

Then  flew  one  of  the  seraphim  unto  me,  having  a 
live  coal  in  his  hand,  which  he  had  taken  with  the 
tongs  from  off  the  altar:  and  he  touched  my  mouth 
with  it,  and  said,  Lo,  this  hath  touched  thy  lips  ;  and 
thine  iniquity  is  taken  away,  and  thy  sin  forgiven. 
And  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  saying,  Whom 
shall  I  send,  and  who  will  go  for  us?  Then  I  said, 
Here  am  I;  send  me.— Isa.  6:  1-8. 

Seventh  Day:  Listen  to  the  song  of  adoration  in  the  clos- 
ing book  of  the  Bible. 


WHERE  FEAR  HOLDS  SWAY  [Is] 

Great  and  marvellous  are  thy  works,  O  Lord  God, 
the  Almighty ;  righteous  and  true  are  thy  ways,  thou 
King  of  the  ages.  Who  shall  not  fear,  O  Lord,  and 
glorify  thy  name?  for  thou  only  art  holy;  for  all  the  s 
nations  shall  come  and  worship  before  thee;  for  thy 
righteous  acts  have  been  made  manifest. — Rev. 
15:3,  4- 

Why  were  the  worshipers  to  be  in  fear  of  God?  Should 
our  attitude  be  any  different  now?  What  effect  should  such 
an  attitude  of  reverence  for  God  and  all  His  creation  have 
upon  our  daily  conduct? 

In  all  this  we  have  the  example  of  Jesus  Christ  Himself. 
Are  we  not  to  follow  "in  His  train"? 

Who  in  the  days  of  his  flesh,  having  offered  up 
prayers  and  supplications  with  strong  crying  and 
tears  unto  him  that  was  able  to  save  him  from  death, 
and  having  been  heard  for  his  godly  fear,  though  he 
was  a  Son,  yet  learned  obedience  by  the  things  which 
he  suffered;  and  having  been  made  perfect,  he  be- 
came unto  all  them  that  obey  him  the  author  of 
eternal  salvation. — Heb.  5  :  7-9, 

Study  for  the  Week 

I 

All  primitive  peoples  have  some  form  of  religion.  Their 
religion  may  be  a  dance  more  than  a  belief,  it  may  have 
more  to  do  with  their  heels  than  with  their  heads,  but  for 
all  that  it  is  religion.  We  start  with  a  religion  very  simple, 
very  naive,  very  crude,  but  still  a  real  religion. 

Who  are  these  primitive  peoples?  They  are  the  Indians 
of  North  and  South  America,  the  Eskimos,  the  Negroes  of 
Central  and  South  Africa,  the  peoples  of  the  South  Sea 
Islands  (including  the  great  islands  of  New  Guinea,  Borneo, 
Sumatra,  and  the  Philippines),  the  black  men  of  Australia, 
and  the  aboriginal  tribes  of  Japan,  China,  and  India.  Not 
only  do  they  live  in  widely  scattered  areas ;  they  are  not  in- 
considerable in  numbers,  even  though  the  population   is  not 

5 


ll-sj  THE  lAlTUS  01'  MANKIND 

den<^c  in  any  one  place.  Their  very  mode  of  living  makes 
it  impossible  for  them  to  remain  in  large  groups.  One 
r(jcent  estimate  gives  their  number  at  about  157.000,000,  an- 
other 173.000.000.  There  is  one  other  reason  for  the  study  of 
the  religion  of  these  people.  When  we  describe  their  reli- 
gion we  are  describing  the  religion  of  our  own  savage  fore- 
fathers, who  roamed  the  forests  and  plains  of  Northern 
Europe.  For  the  religion  of  all  primitive  peoples  is  essen- 
tially  the  same. 

II 

\\'hat  kind  of  being  is  a  primitive  or  savage  man?  He  is 
like  us  and  yet  he  is  not.  He  looks  out  on  the  same  universe, 
yet  he  looks  at  it  differently.  We  see  the  same  thing  in  our 
homes.  We  all  live  in  the  same  environment,  but  it  is  a  very 
different  world  to  the  little  children  from  what  it  is  to  us. 
A  child  lives  in  fairyland.  "Alice  in  Wonderland"  is  just 
as  real  as  tables  and  chairs.  It  would  be  no  more  wonderful 
to  see  a  shoe  turn  into  a  real  live  grinning  monkey  than  to 
watch  a  willow  stick  made  into  a  whistle.  To  him  anything 
might  be  anything  else  just  as  easily  as  be  what  it  is.  Now 
a  savage  is  very  much  like  a  child.  He  has  a  man's  body, 
developed  and  strong,  and  a  man's  experience  in  many  re- 
spects like  our  own,  but  with  a  child's  outlook  and  way  of 
thinking  about  the  world.  The  chief  difference  is  that  the 
savage  is  mature  physically,  has  picked  up  a  lot  of  useful 
information,  and  is  expert  in  forest  and  animal  lore.  With 
all  this,  however,  he  has  retained  the  same  naive  attitude 
toward  nature  and  the  inner  world  of  his  own  life.  He 
seems  to  have  but  one  method  of  explaining  what  happens, 
and  that  is  by  referring  it  to  the  way  he  makes  things  happen. 
If  the  wind  blows,  some  one  must  be  blowing  or  letting  the 
winds  out  of  a  bag.  He  carries  this  out  to  the  last  detail, 
until  his  universe  is  filled  with  spirits.  He  never  asks,  what 
caused  my  toothache,  but  always  n-ho  caused  it?  He  is  an 
"animist."     He  lives  in  a  world  that  is  alive. 

He  reasons  this  way  all  unconsciously  to  himself.     He  has 

6 


WHERE  FEAR  HOLDS  SWAY  [I-s] 

never  investigated  his  mental  processes.  True,  he  cannot 
see  the  spirits  which  surround  him,  but  they  are  very  real  to 
him.  He  thinks  he  does  see  them  at  times,  on  dark  nights 
and  in  secluded  places,  and  he  has  countless  ghost  stories. 
We  hear  them  told  even  among  ourselves,  showing  that  we 
have  not  gone  as  far  as  we  think  from  the  animistic  way  of 
looking  at  things. 

But  why  does  he  think  he  sees  ghosts  and  how  can  he 
believe  in  so  many  spirits,  which  are  for  the  most  part  invis- 
ible? It  is  scarcely  possible  to  escape  the  conclusion  that  he 
came  to  believe  in  spirits  through  the  experience  of  dreams 
and  through  the  coming  of  death  into  his  family.  In  dreams 
he  wanders  over  the  universe.  No  bound  can  be  set  to  his 
travels.  He  does  it  all  in  a  few  moments.  To  him  it  is  all 
just  as  real  as  eating  and  drinking.  But  he  has  learned 
from  what  others  say  that  while  he  was  out  on  his  wonder- 
ful journey  his  body  was  just  where  he  lay  down  and  where 
he  found  himself  when  he  waked  up.  A  spirit  then  can  leave 
its  body  and  journey  anywhere,  disembodied  and  invisible. 
Death  also  is  hard  to  understand.  It  is  very  much  like 
sleep  to  him,  but  why  does  not  the  spirit  come  back  as  it  has 
done  so  often  before?  This  is  the  mystery  to  him,  and  it 
becomes  all  the  more  mysterious  and  horrible  when  the  body 
begins  to  decay  and  to  grow  repulsive.  He  lives  in  a  world 
which  he  cannot  understand.  It  is  full  of  spirits  and  spirit- 
ual influences  which  can  do  what  he  cannot.  He  is  in  a  very 
real  sense  helpless  before  them. 


Ill 

This  primitive  man  is  religious.  The  animism  we  have 
been  describing  is  not  his  religion,  but  it  is  very  close  to  it. 
The  spirits  or  gods  he  worships  are  the  spirits  of  his  ani- 
mism. In  what  sense  can  they  be  called  gods  or  deities? 
Probably  in  no  deeper  sense  than  that  they  are  stronger  and 
more  cunning  than  he  is,  and  that  he  must  have  dealings 
with  them.     In  Japan  the  earliest  term  for  gods  was  Katni, 

7 


[I-s]  THE  I'.UTHS  OF  MANKIND 

which  means  "something  above."  Anything  that  is  higher 
or  stronger  or  more  cunning  than  I  am  may  be  a  Kami. 

All  the  greater  objects  of  nature  have  thus  served  as 
gods.  The  ocean,  the  mountains,  the  clouds,  the  dawn,  the 
stars,  the  moon,  and  the  sun  all  have  been  looked  upon  as 
divinities  and  have  been  worshiped.  The  Ipurinas  of  Brazil 
speak  of  the  sun  as  "our  Father,"  and  think  of  him  as  a 
little  old  man,  who  was  their  progenitor  and  still  cares  for 
his  children.  It  would  not  be  so  hard  to  understand  how 
men  should  worship  the  greater  and  grander  aspects  of 
nature.  We  think  of  them  as  uplifting  and  purifying,  as  they 
stand  out  in  their  isolated  grandeur.  But  primitive  peoples 
are  not  able  to  read  into  their  interpretation  what  we  have 
learned  from  other  sources. 

The  strange  thing  is  that  the  savage  prefers  other  deities. 
The  lesser  powers  of  nature  fascinate  him.  The  spirits  in 
trees,  springs,  streams,  rocks,  caves,  and  dark  recesses  are 
deified  to  a  far  greater  extent  than  are  the  stars.  Certain 
stones  are  sacred  to  the  Zulus,  because  their  ancestors  are 
said  to  have  emerged  from  one  such  stone  split  in  two.  How 
does  it  happen  that  one  object  is  chosen  rather  than  another 
to  be  worshiped?  In  all  probability,  the  savage  to  whom  you 
might  put  this  question  could  not  answer.  He  does  just  as 
his  fathers  did,  and  that  is  all  he  knows  about  it.  But  there 
must  be  some  reason.  It  is  in  all  likelihood  because  of 
something  strange  or  awesome  or  uncanny  about  it.  This 
doubtless  accounts  for  the  reverence  given  certain  animals 
like  the  snake,  whose  worship  is  very  widespread  indeed. 
The  very  aversion  man  has  for  a  snake  would  lead  a  savage 
to  consider  it  as  out  of  the  ordinary. 

In  many  pafts  of  the  world  another  form  of  worship  is 
found — the  worship  of  ancestors.  Fathers  and  grandfathers 
especially  are  held  in  reverence  and  have  offerings  made  to 
them  when  they  have  died.  When  a  man  dies,  his  spirit, 
going  into  a  new  and  unknown  realm,  becomes  mysterious 
and  hence  stronger  and  more  to  be  feared  than  when  em- 
bodied here  among  his   fellows.     He  can  now   do  harm  or 

8 


WHERE  FEAR  HOLDS  SWAY  [I-s] 

possibly  ward  ofif  danger  from  his  descendants,  according 
to  the  treatment  offered  him.  His  spirit  is  not  very  far 
away  and  takes  note  of  all  that  is  happening.  The  worship, 
then,  that  is  offered  springs  not  only  out  of  the  respect  which 
the  memory  of  one  of  their  own  departed  ones  would  inspire, 
but  far  more  out  of  dread  and  fear.  A  spirit  is  not  a  thing 
to  be  trifled  with.  It  must  be  fed  and  treated  well,  or  else 
it  will  wreak  vengeance  upon  the  neglectful  descendants  who 
have  dared  to  do  so  unaccountable  a  thing. 

A  strange  phase  of  savage  life  is  the  relation  of  man  to 
animals.  The  line  between  them  is  not  very  distinct.  Among 
many  people  there  exists  the  fear  that  men  might  be  turned 
into  animals  with  little  difficulty.  Tales  are  told  of  how  it 
has  happened,  and  these  tales  have  come  down  into  our  folk 
lore,  where  we  have  gruesome  stories  of  were-wolves  and 
other  unnatural  combinations.  The  form  in  which  this  belief 
is  found  today  among  primitive  peoples  is  Totemism.  Now 
a  totem  is  an  animal  (or  in  some  places  a  plant)  to  which 
the  people  of  a  tribe  who  belong  to  that  totem  clan  are  sup- 
posed to  be  related.  All  the  people  belong  to  one  or  another 
of  these  clans,  the  supposition  being  that  the  animal  was  the 
ancestor  of  the  clan.  This  makes  the  animal  sacred  or  tabu, 
which  means  that  it  must  not  be  killed  by  members  of  that 
totem  clan.  The  only  exception  is  when  the  animal  is  eaten 
religiously,  as  a  symbol  of  the  closeness  of  relationship  be- 
tween the  clan  and  its  totem.  An  Alaskan  totem  pole  is 
nothing  else  than  a  representation  of  certain  animals  which 
are  the  totems  of  tribal  clans. 

IV 

We  are  not  yet  at  the  end  of  the  list.  In  various  parts 
of  the  earth  men  are  found  acting  in  very  queer  ways  with 
what  we  might  call  deities  or  gods  only  with  apologies. 
They  are  fetiches.  The  name  comes  from  the  term  fcitico, 
which  the  Portuguese  sailors  gave  to  the  strange  objects 
which  were  a  part  of  the  religious  paraphernalia  of  the 
West   Africa   negroes.     The   word   as   these    sailors    used    it 

9 


fl-s]  THE  FAITHS  Of  MANKIND 

means  "something  made"  or  "concocted."  A  man  who 
wanted  a  fetich  would  go  to  the  medicine  man  or  witch 
doctor  and  have  him  make  one  for  him.  It  was  usually  a 
diabolical  mixture  of  all  sorts  of  horrible  and  repulsive  things 
put  into  the  hollow  of  a  gazelle  horn,  which  was  then  sealed 
and  hung  around  the  neck  of  the  possessor.  In  other  places 
no  such  elaborate  preparation  was  needed.  Anything  that 
struck  the  eye  of  the  savage  as  queer  or  grotesque  he  might 
take  as  his  fetich.  The  important  thing  is  that  a  fetich  is 
any  object  which  is  supposed  to  be  the  abode  of  a  spirit, 
which  will  be  of  service  to  the  user.  The  object  then  is 
worshiped  only  because  of  the  spirit  living  in  it.  But  this 
so-called  worship  is  a  peculiar  thing.  The  spirit  is  told  to 
do  what  the  owner  desires;  it  is  often  cajoled  into  doing  it. 
In  reality  it  is  more  of  a  slave  in  the  possession  of  its  owner, 
than  a  spirit  to  whom  he  comes  with  a  request.  It  has  been 
called  "a  god  at  man's  disposal."  If  it  does  not  do  what  is 
expected,  the  fetich  is  scolded  and  even  beaten.  Then  if  it 
continues  to  be  obstinate  in  its  disobedience,  it  is  thrown 
away  as  being  of  no  use — the  spirit  has  departed ;  it  is  only 
a  stick  or  stone  or  horn  like  any  other. 

Fetichism  is  the  negation  of  all  true  religion  and  worship, 
where  prayer  and  supplication  and  humility  are  the  fitting 
attitudes.  Whatever  may  be  its  origin,  there  it  is — a  force 
in  savage  life,  always  hurtful  and  tending  to  drag  what  little 
helpfulness  there  is  in  savage  religion  down  into  the  mire. 
For  the  most  part  it  is  anti-social,  a  man  securing  a  fetich 
to  get  even  with  an  enemy  or  to  secure  luck  at  the  expense 
of  some  one  else.  It  is  one  of  the  darkest  sides  of  a  heathen- 
ism already  clouded  over  by  superstition  and  dark  deeds. 

Looking  at  fetichism  broadly,  we  can  see  that  it  is  one 
of  the  .manifestations  of  the  all-prevalent  magic  which  is  to 
be  found  in  every  part  of  the  world  among  these  animistic 
peoples.  What  is  magic?  It  is  hard  to  define.  A  savage 
is  frequently  in  difficulty  and  confusion;  he  has  wants  of  all 
kinds  and  he  is  at  his  wit's  end  to  supply  them.  He  is  will- 
ing to  do  anything  to  get  relief  and  secure  what  he  desires. 

10 


WHERE  FEAR  HOLDS  SWAY  [Is] 

Whatever  he  does  must  be  with  the  help  of  the  spirits  about 
him.  He  will  try  to  placate  them  by  offerings  and  make 
request  of  them  for  what  he  desires,  and  we  call  this  religion. 
But  this  is  not  all  he  can  do.  In  various  ways  he  has  picked 
up  some  bits  of  useful  information — for  example,  that  by 
striking  two  stones  together  a  spark  may  be  produced.  This 
is  the  beginning  of  science,  man's  start  in  progress,  but  to 
the  savage  himself,  controlled  by  his  belief  in  spirits,  there 
is  no  real  difference  between  this  and  the  other  (the  reli- 
gious) method.  In  each  case  he  believes  that  what  is  ac- 
complished is  the  work  of  spirits  or  the  result  of  spiritual 
influence.  He  does  not  see  what  we  see,  that  in  one  case  he 
is  appealing  to  spiritual  powers  and  in  the  other  he  has  dis- 
covered one  of  the  applications  of  the  law  of  cause  and 
effect,  that  he  has  started  on  his  long  course  of  scientific  dis- 
covery and  invention.  He  does  not  think  about  it  at  all ;  he 
finds  that  it  works,  he  feels  sure  some  spiritual  influence  is 
present.  When  any  distinction  is  made  by  the  savage  him- 
self, it  is  between  that  use  of  magic  which  is  directed  toward 
the  public  good,  called  white  magic,  and  that  which  is  private 
and  selfish  and  directed  toward  hurting  somebody,  called 
black  magic.  Whenever  a  man  secures  what  he  desires  from 
spiritual  beings,  not  by  prayer  and  dependence,  but  by  com- 
pulsion and  by  a  sense  of  superiority,  of  "knowing  the  trick," 
he  debases  religion  and  himself  and  thwarts  any  possibility 
of  advance. 


Almost  nothing  has  been  said  about  the  character  of  these 
deities  or  spirits.  They  are  just  like  the  universe  from  which 
they  are  taken.  They  can  be  as  kind  as  a  summer  afternoon; 
they  can  also  be  as  cruel  as  a  volcano.  We  have  heard  tales 
of  the  idyllic  life  of  the  simple  uncontaminated  savage. 
The  dreadful  fact  is  that  for  the  savage  the  kind  deities 
seem  to  have  withdrawn  for  the  most  part,  and  he  must 
have  nearly  all  his  dealings  with  cruel,  malevolent  gods, 
always  seeking  to  do  him  harm.     He  has  no  one  among  the 

IJ 


[I-s]  THE  r  AIT  I  IS  OT  MASKISD 

spirits  whom  he  can  trust.  Faith  and  confidence  have  no 
opportunity  to  develop  and  so  lie  dormant.  "Animism  seems 
devised  for  the  purpose  of  tormenting  men,  and  hindering 
them  from  enjoying  life.  .  .  .  Gigantic  spirits  stride  through 
the  villages  scattering  epidemics  around  them.  .  .  .  They 
are  not  laughing  fauns  or  mocking  satyrs,  but  merciless 
messengers  of  death,  enemies  swollen  with  envy,  who  would 
fain  hurl  the  living  into  the  kingdom  of  the  dead." 

Having  no  faith  in  his  gods,  the  savage  can  develop  little 
faith  in  his  neighbor.  Distrust  is  everywhere  present  in  his 
personal  life,  as  tribal  wars  are  the  rule  in  his  larger  world. 
With  little  or  nothing  to  restrain  his  impulses  a  man  is 
controlled  by  his  natural  instincts.  Being  the  stronger  the 
man  lords  it  over  the  woman,  who  is  little  better  than  a 
chattel.  She  is  the  drudge  and  the  despised  bearer  of  chil- 
dren and  doer  of  chores.  No  advance  in  civilization  can  be 
made  on  this  basis.  Something  must  come  in  from  the  out- 
side and  turn  the  life  into  new  channels  before  any  change 
can  take  place.  He  gives  to  the  gods  what  he  thinks  they 
need  and  want,  and  he  determines  this  by  his  own  needs  and 
desires.  But  he  offers  these  sacrifices  to  placate  angry 
deities,  to  buy  them  off,  so  that  they  will  not  carry  out  their 
malignant  designs.  His  life  is  on  the  low  level  of  material 
wants  and  desires,  and  never  gets  above  them.  It  is  sick- 
ness and  loss  and  death  he  wishes  to  avoid,  and  good  crops, 
increase  in  his  herd,  and  many  children  that  he  desires.  His 
idea  of  salvation  is  merely  to  be  saved  from  want  and  illness 
and  bad  luck.  There  is  nothing  morally  elevating  or  spirit- 
ually progressive  about  it  in  any  way. 

VI 

What  is  to  become  of  these  forms  of  religious  life?  When- 
ever they  come  into  contact  with  higher  forms  of  religion, 
they  go  to  the  wall.  With  no  literature,  no  firmly  intrenched 
priestly  class  with  a  well  established  tradition,  with  no 
founder  and  splendid  history  to  look  back  upon,  there  is  little 
to  hold  them  when  the  elaborate  worships  and  the  uplifting 

12 


WHERE  FEAR  HOLDS  SWAY  [Is] 

teachings  of  the  higher  faiths  are  presented  to  them.  As 
a  matter  of  present-day  history,  it  must  be  regarded  as  sig- 
nificant that  the  aboriginal  tribes  of  India  are  being  absorbed 
into  the  great  body  of  Hinduism.  Buddhism  has  won  the 
allegiance  of  many  animists  in  her  long  history.  Islam  is 
making  phenomenal  progress  in  the  Dutch  East  Indies,  and 
in  Central  Africa  and  the  Sudan.  And  in  many  places  Chris- 
tianity has  won  thousands  of  the  primitive  people  and  com- 
pletely transformed  their  life.  There  seems  to  be  no  resist- 
ing power  when  once  the  battle  is  joined.  Man  naturally 
craves  a  God  he  can  trust,  who  is  interested  in  him  and 
cares  about  his  welfare.  When  such  a  God  is  presented,  the 
sway  of  the  old  malignant  spirits  and  demons  ceases. 

But  this  is  not  the  whole  story.  It  is  not  so  difficult  to 
bow  animism  out  of  the  front  door,  but  before  long,  dressed 
in  a  slightly  different  garb,  it  comes  around  to  the  back  door, 
always  finds  its  way  into  the  house,  and  usually  remains.  It 
seems  perfectly  willing  to  travel  incognito.  It  enjoys  just 
about  as  much  power,  even  though  the  house  where  it  lives 
is  in  the  possession  of  another  owner.  The  Burmans  have 
been  Buddhists  for  hundreds  of  years,  and  all  Burma  is 
studded  with  the  pagodas  of  an  orthodox  faith,  but  when- 
ever a  Burmese  gets  into  trouble,  he  has  recourse  to  the  nats, 
the  old  spirits  of  Burma  in  pre-Buddhist  days.  The  Christian 
Church  overcame  the  paganism  of  the  Roman  Empire,  but 
the  old  spirits  and  gods  who  had  been  dispossessed  came  back 
in  the  form  of  saint  worship ;  they  had  new  names,  but  to  the 
people  who  had  been  pagan  it  was  the  same  thing  in  another 
garb.  It  gave  them  the  same  old  satisfaction  in  the  same 
old  way. 

Have  we  entirely  escaped  in  our  Protestantism?  What 
does  it  mean  that  there  are  many  who  are  afraid  to  sit  down 
thirteen  at  a  table,  who  still  "knock  wood,"  who  do  not 
want  to  begin  anything  on  Friday,  who  are  afraid  of  Room 
13,  so  that  our  hotels  cannot  have  the  number,  who  carry 
luck  pennies  and  like  to  have  a  horseshoe  over  the  door? 
These  are  but  remnants  of  an  animism  long  left  behind,  but 

13 


[I-s]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MANKIND 

still  active  as  an  influence  and  at  times  as  a  real  power.  We 
are  not  so  far  away  from  the  savage  after  all.  We  have 
many  beliefs  and  practices  which  are  not  worthy  of  our 
civilization  and  our  religious  profession.  A  little  houseclean- 
ing  might  not  be  amiss  before  we  point  the  finger  of  scorn 
at  the  "poor  benighted"  animist  in  far-away  New  Guinea  and 
Borneo. 

Suggestions  for  Thought  and  Discussion 

I.  The  Place  of  Fear  in  Religion 

Distinguish  between  the  kinds  of  fear  men  have.  What 
is  the  difference  in  the  effect  on  life  between  these  different 
kinds  of  fear?  What  is  it  that  can  turn  one  kind  of  fear 
into  another?  What  is  meant  when  a  man  is  spoken  of  as 
God-fearing? 

II.  Animism — What   Is   It? 

What  is  the  difference  in  intellectual  outlook  between 
an  American  college  student  and  an  animist?  What  would 
stand  in  the  way  of  the  college  student  becoming  an  ani- 
mist? 

III.  The  Religion  of  Animists 

What  leads  an  animist  to  worship  his  gods?  Why  would 
a  spring  be  worshiped,  or  a  dark  cave,  or  an  oak  tree,  or 
a  mountain?  What  would  lead  to  the  worship  of  the  small- 
pox demon?  What  effect  on  life  would  such  worship  be 
likely  to  have? 

IV.  Magic  and  Religion 

What  is  the  difference  between  the  two?  What  differ- 
ence can  we  see  which  an  animist  cannot?  What  magical 
practices  are  to  be  found  in  our  own  home  communities? 
Why  do  people  practice  them,  or  believe  in  them?  What 
influence  do  they  have? 

(For  a  view  of  animistic  religion  in  its  actual  working, 
an  excellent  volume  is  "The  Living  Christ  and  Dying 
Heathenism,"  by  Johann  Warneck.) 

14 


CHAPTER  II 

WHO  IS  MY  BROTHER? 

The  question,  Who  is  my  brother?  stares  every  Hindu  in 
the  face.  For  more  than  two  millenniums  Hindus  have  tried 
to  imagine  that  the  question  was  settled,  and  settled  forever. 
The  attempts  on  the  part  of  reformers  to  make  it  an  issue 
have  done  little  more  than  irritate  them.  The  caste  system 
through  all  the  centuries  has  remained  intact.  To  the  Hindus 
their  brothers  are  only  those  who  are  fortunate  enough  to  be 
born  into  their  own  limited  circle,  and  that  is  all  there  is  to 
be  said.  Yet  it  is  the  burning  question  in  India  today.  On  its 
solution  depends  the  future  of  the  teeming  millions  who  now 
call  themselves  Hindus.  The  readings  which  follow  are 
passages  chosen  to  throw  light  on  the  problem  of  brotherhood 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  Bible. 

Daily  Readings 

First  Day  :  The  Jews  have  always  been  an  exclusive  race. 
They  have  held  themselves  aloof  from  others,  and  despite 
persecutions  and  humiliations  almost  without  parallel  have 
considered  themselves  superior  to  their  compatriots  in  every 
land.  They  consider  themselves  a  select  people,  in  God's 
special  favor.  Hosea  expresses  it  most  tenderly:  "When  Israel 
was  a  child,  then  I  loved  him,  and  called  my  son  out  of 
Egypt"    ( 1 1  :  I ) . 

What  impression  would  probably  be  created  among  a  people 
by  the  habitual  reading  of  such  passages  as  this? 

Praise   Jehovah,    O   Jerusalem ; 

Praise  thy  God,  O  Zion.    .     .     . 

He  showeth  his  word  unto  Jacob, 

His  statutes  and  his  ordinances  unto  Israel. 

He  hath  not  dealt  so  with  any  nation. 

Psalm   147:  12,   19,  20. 

15 


lll-j]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MAXK/XD 

Skcond  Day  :  This  unwarranted  exclusiveness  was  their 
undoing  so  far  as  God's  purpose  was  concerned.  They 
wrapped  themselves  about  with  their  mantle  of  smug  satis- 
faction and  became  more  and  more  bigoted  and  narrow.  We 
have  in  the  story  of  Jonah  a  sermon  in  parable  directed 
against  this  narrowness.  Jonah  typifies  Israel  in  not  desiring 
to  go  to  a  despised  city  like  Nineveh  with  a  message  from 
God.  When,  however,  he  did  go  and  preach,  we  are  told  "the 
people  of  Nineveh  believed  God"  and  repented.  Now  read 
the  sequel : 

But  it  displeased  Jonah  exceedingly,  and  he  was 
angry.  And  he  prayed  unto  Jehovah,  and  said,  I  pray 
thee,  O  Jehovah,  was  not  this  my  saying,  when  I  was 
yet  in  my  country?  Therefore  I, hasted  to  flee  unto 
Tarshish  ;  for  I  knew  that  thou  art  a  gracious  God, 
and  merciful,  slow  to  anger,  and  abundant  in  loving- 
kindness,  and  repentest  thee  of  the  evil.  Therefore 
now,  O  Jehovah,  take,  I  beseech  thee,  my  life  from 
me ;  for  it  is  better  for  me  to  die  than  to  live.  And 
Jehovah  said,  Doest  thou  well  to  be  angry?  ,  .  . 
Should  not  I  have  regard  for  Nineveh,  that  great 
city,  wherein  are  more  than  sixscore  thousand  persons 
that  cannot  discern  between  their  right  hand  and 
their  left  hand;  and  also  much  cattle? — Jonah  4: 
1-4.  II. 

What  definition  of  brotherhood  do  you  think  Jonah  must 
have  had?  What  can  you  gather  as  to  the  definition  of  the 
writer  of  the  sermon  story? 

Third  Day:  Paul  was  a  member  of  this  same  race.  Few 
in  his  day  had  carried  their  devotion  further.  Yet  what  is 
his  attitude? 

If  any  other  man  thinketh  to  have  confidence  in 
the  flesh,  I  yet  more :  circumcised  the  eighth  day,  of 
the  stock  of  Israel,  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin,  a  He- 
brew of  Hebrews;  as  touching  the  law,  a  Pharisee; 
as  touching  zeal,  persecuting  the  church ;  as  touching 
16 


WHO  IS  MY  BROTHER?  [II-4] 

the  righteousness  which  is  in  the  law,  found  blame- 
less. Howbeit  what  things  are  gain  to  me,  these  have 
I  counted  loss  for  Christ. — Phil.  3:4-7. 

What  is  it  that  had  made  the  change?  This  new  loyalty 
to  Jesus  Christ  had  made  a  profound  diflference  in  all  his 
relationships.  He  had  put  his  pride  of  race  behind  his  devo- 
tion to  Christ,  and  lo,  it  ceased  to  be  pride  at  all.  How  would 
our  attitude  toward  despised  people  be  affected  if  we  should 
become  deeply  interested  in  them? 

Fourth  Day  :  This  new  attitude  on  Paul's  part  influenced 
his  theory  as  well  as  his  practice.  Not  only  was  he  a  brother 
in  fact,  but  it  became  impossible  for  him  to  look  on  his  own 
people  in  the  same  selfish  way  as  before. 

And  he  made  of  one  every  nation  of  men  to  dwell 
on  all  the  face  of  the  earth. — Acts  17 :  26. 

With  all  this  he  did  not  cease  to  feel  that  his  own  race  was 
in  a  unique  position  with  a  unique  mission  to  fulfil, 

I  could  wish  that  I  myself  were  anathema  from 
Christ  for  my  brethren's  sake,  my  kinsmen  according 
to  the  flesh :  who  are  Israelites ;  whose  is  the  adop- 
tion, and  the  glory,  and  the  covenants,  and  the  giving 
of  the  law,  and  the  service  of  God,  and  the  promises ; 
whose  are  the  fathers,  and  of  whom  is  Christ  as  con- 
cerning the  flesh,  who  is  over  all,  God  blessed  for 
ever.    Amen. — Rom.  9:3-5. 

Is  patriotism  then  unjustifiable?  Must  patriotism  mean 
exclusiveness  and  a  sense  of  haughty  superiority?  What 
attitude  should  a  patriot  have  toward  alien  peoples? 

Fifth  Day  :  Peter  had  a  much  harder  time  than  Paul  to 
be  true  to  the  spirit  of  his  Master. 

But  when  Cephas  came  to  Antioch,  I  resisted  him 
to  the  face,  because  he  stood  condemned.    For  before 

17 


[II-6]  THE  I'AITHS  Of  M.IXKIXD 

that  certain  came  from  James,  he  ate  with  the  Gen- 
tiles :  but  when  they  came,  he  drew  back  and  separ- 
ated himself,  fearing  them  that  were  of  the  circumci- 
sion.— Gal.  2:11,   12. 

Yet  this  same  Peter  wins  his  victory  over  Jewish  narrow- 
ness and  is  able  to  write  to  a  Christian  church,  whose  mem- 
bership was  Gentile  as  well  as  Jewish,  such  words  as  these : 

.  But  ye  are  an  elect  race,  a  royal  priesthood,  a  holy 
nation,  a  people  for  God's  own  possession,  that  ye 
may  show  forth  the  excellencies  of  him  who  called 
you  out  of  darkness  into  his  marvellous  light:  who 
in  time  past  were  no  people,  but  now  are  the  people 
of  God. — I  Peter  2:9-10. 

Try  to  put  yourself  in  Peter's  place  and  realize  what  it 
meant  for  this  Jew  to  call  Gentiles  "the  people  of  God." 
What  are  your  prejudices?     Is  Peter's  new  experience  to  be 


Sixth  Day:  Jesus'  life  is  full  of  illustrations  of  liberality 
and  broadmindedness.  He  sat  down  and  talked  with  a  de- 
spised Samaritan  woman.  More  than  that,  he  made  to  her 
one  of  the  most  significant  revelations  of  the  wideness  and 
universality  of  His  kingdom  to  be  found  anywhere  in  the 
gospels ! 

Jesus  saith  unto  her.  Woman,  believe  me,  the  hour 
Cometh,  when  neither  in  this  mountain,  nor  in  Jeru- 
salem, shall  ye  worship  the  Father.  .  .  .  The  hour 
Cometh,  and  now  is,  when  the  true  worshippers  shall 
worship  the  Father  in  spirit  and  truth :  for  such  doth 
the  Father  seek  to  be  his  worshippers. — John  4:21,  ^3. 

There  are  no  bounds  to  such  a  Kingdom.  All  are  brethren 
who  come  to  their  common  Father  in  spirit  and  in  truth. 

Seventh  Day  : 

And  one  of  them,  a  lawyer,  asked  him  a  question, 
trying  him  :     Teacher,  which  is  the  great  command- 
18 


WHO  IS  MY  BROTHER?  [II-s] 

ment  in  the  law?  And  he  said  unto  him,  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with 
all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  great 
and  first  commandment.  And  a  second  like  unto  it  is 
this,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself.  On 
these  two  commandments  the  whole  law  hangeth,  and 
the   prophets.— Matt.  22  :  35-40. 

What  then  does  it  mean  to  be  a  brother?  What  is  the 
measure  of  our  obligation?  What  relation  does  brotherhood 
have  to  our  relation  with  God? 

There  is  a  picture  in  the  Revelation  of  the  consummation 
of  all  things.  It  is  really  a  rapture,  in  praise  of  Jesus  Christ, 
our  Lord.  But  notice  the  inclusiveness  of  the  list  of  those 
who  have  been  redeemed.  Where  do  they  come  from?  Who 
are  to  be  our  brothers  in  the  great  Kingdom  of  Jesus  Christ? 

And  they  sing  a  new  song,  saying,  Worthy  art  thou 
to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the  seals  thereof :  for 
thou  wast  slain,  and  didst  purchase  unto  God  with 
thy  blood  men  of  every  tribe,  and  tongue,  and  people, 
and  nation,  and  madest  them  to  be  unto  our  God  a 
kingdom  and  priests ;  and  they  reign  upon  the  earth. 
— Rev.  5  :  9,  10. 

Study  for  the  Week 


Of  all  lands  India  is  the  land  of  religion.  Many  things 
can  be  said  of  this  strange  land,  but  the  first  and  the  last 
thing  is  that  India  is  religious.  In  what  other  country  have 
priests  always  been  placed  ahead  of  soldiers  and  statesmen? 
In  what  other  country  have  famous  kings  been  remembered 
because  of  their  connection  with  religion?  Her  literature 
from  top  to  bottom  has  been  the  literature  of  religion.  More 
than  in  any  other  country  in  the  world  the  people  are  com- 
pelled to  be  religious  from  the  cradle  to  the  grave,  which,  by 
the  way,  is  a  most  happy  use  of  language  since  they  have 
neither  cradles  nor  graves!     To  change  their  religion  means 

19 


[II-s]  THE  FAITHS  Of  MAX  KIND 

in  a  real  sense  to  change  their  whole  life.  Let  us  go  then 
to  this  God-intoxicated  people  and  seek  to  discover  what 
religion  means  to  them. 

II 

Our  first  impression  will  surely  be  one  of  confusion.  In- 
dian religious  life  is  a  labyrinth,  a  tropical  jungle  of  tangled 
beliefs  and  forms.  There  is  a  perfect  babel  of  sounds. 
There  are  Buddhists  in  Burma  and  Bengal,  Animists  in  the 
hills  and  jungles,  Parsees  in  the  west,  Jains  scattered  here 
and  there,  Jews,  Christians,  the  largest  group  of  Moham- 
medans in  the  world,  and  finally  Hindus,  the  most  important 
and  by  far  the  most  numerous  body  of  religionists  in  the 
country. 

We  are  now  to  study  Hinduism,  whose  numbers  were  given 
as  214,570,000  by  the  last  census  (1911).  But  when  we  open 
the  door  and  step  in  we  do  not  know  which  way  to  go — 
there  are  so  many  paths.  Hinduism  is  a  maze  whose  intricacy 
no  one  has  been  able  to  reduce  to  any  kind  of  order.  Various 
statements  may  be  made  about  Hinduism,  all  of  which  are 
true  and  which  at  the  same  time  are  in  glaring  contradiction 
with  each  other.  Then  how  can  there  be  anything  called 
Hinduism,  representing  a  real  unity,  when  nothing  can  be 
asserted  of  belief,  conduct,  or  worship  on  which  there  can 
be  any  agreement? 

The  question  which  arises  is  serious.  What  is  Hinduism 
then,  if  a  man  can  do  as  he  pleases  and  believe  what  he  likes 
and  still  be  considered  orthodox?  We  must  be  prepared  for 
a  strange  revelation.  Hindu  orthodoxy  is  not  one  of  belief 
or  conduct  or  religious  ceremonial;  it  is  an  orthodoxy  of  con- 
formity, conformity  to  custom.  Hinduism  is  primarily  a 
form  of  social  organization,  known  as  caste.  This  is  the  great 
fact  confronting  one  in  India.  Caste  determines  everything 
in  the  life  of  the  individual  and  of  society.  It  is  the  one 
bond  which  binds  all  these  people  together  into  what  may  be 
called  a  unity,  for  they  all  believe  in  it  and  cling  to  it  with  a 
death-like  grip.     At  the  same  time  caste  is  the  most  divisive 

20 


IVHO  IS  MY  BROTHERf  [II-s] 

element  in  their  life,  for  each  caste  is  a  kind  of  water-tight 
compartment  exclusive  to  the  last  degree. 


Ill 

Caste  means  that  a  man  must  conform  to  a  rigid  code  in 
respect  of  marriage,  food,  occupation,  and  residence.  Of 
these  regulations  those  governing  marriage  are  the  most 
important.  One  must  not  marry  outside  his  own  caste,  or, 
as  in  many  cases,  his  sub-caste.  When  it  is  remembered  that 
everyone  in  India  marries,  that  to  be  an  old  bachelor  or  an 
old  maid  is  a  disgrace,  it  is  quite  evident  that  there  must  be 
some  difficulty  in  making  matches  in  strict  conformity  to 
these  rules.  Particularly  would  this  be  true  if  match-making 
were  unduly  delayed.  This  led  many  centuries  ago  to  the 
marriage  of  mere  children,  and  all  attempts  to  modify  the 
system  have  been  fought  with  great  bitterness  by  the  people, 
almost  without  exception.  The  law  of  child  marriage  is  thus 
stated  in  the  earliest  Hindu  law  book,  the  Code  of  Manu, 
"A  girl  should  be  given  in  marriage  before  puberty." 

With  high  child  mortality  as  it  exists  in  India,  this  system 
involves  the  constant  presence  in  the  country  of  an  enormous 
number  of  widows,  26,000,000  and  more,  according  to  the  last 
census.  A  large  number  of  these  are  mere  children,  little 
girls  in  many  cases  not  yet  in  their  teens.  These  girls  and 
women  are  not  allowed  to  remarry.  By  a  strange  and  ter- 
rible perversion  woman  is  looked  down  upon  in  India ;  she 
is  a  kind  of  inevitable  evil  which  must  be  borne.  Compelled 
to  live  in  the  home  of  her  deceased  husband,  the  widow  has 
been  a  slave  and  a  drudge.  Of  all  women  her  lot  is  most 
miserable.  The  theory  is  that,  being  married,  she  is  bound 
to  her  husband  forever.  If  he  sickens  or  dies  she  is  held 
responsible,  so  that  it  is  not  unjust  to  treat  her  as  one  guilty 
of  crime.  It  has  been  considered  meritorious  for  her  to 
ascend  her  husband's  funeral  pyre  and  be  burned  to  death 
with  his  body.  An  old  text  puts  it  thus,  "If  a  woman's  hus- 
band dies,  let  her  lead  a  life  of  chastity,  or  else  mount  his 

21 


lll-s]  THE  I'AITUS  01'  MANKIND 

pyre."  The  British  government  has  happily  put  a  stop  to  this 
inhuman  practice,  but  even  yet  a  case  of  sutfcc,  as  it  is  called, 
comes  to  light  occasionally,  showing  how  deeply  ingrained 
the  old  custom  is.  This  is  what  caste  has  meant  for  woman. 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  man  labors  under  no  such  restric- 
tions. He  may  marry  other  women,  even  during  the  lifetime 
of  his  first  wife. 

Xo  matter  how  loosely  the  other  caste  regulations  may  rest 
on  an  intelligent  Hindu,  he  is  like  adamant  regarding  mar- 
riage. But  caste  does  mean  more  to  him  than  this.  He  is 
not  to  eat  with  men  of  other  castes.  He  carries  this  out  to 
the  letter  in  many  cases  and  insists,  according  to  the  old 
formulas,  that  his  food  be  prepared  by  one  of  his  own  caste. 
He  cannot  always  be  sure  of  this,  but  the  more  scrupulous 
he  is  the  farther  he  goes  into  all  the  details  of  the  regulations. 
Certain  castes  have  been  given  over  so  long  to  certain  occu- 
pations that  to  be  a  member  of  that  caste  means  following 
that  occupation.  It  is  against  caste  regulations  for  a  Hindu 
to  leave  the  sacred  soil  of  India,  the  land  of  the  gods.  So 
technically  every  Hindu  who  travels  abroad  or  goes  to 
Europe  or  America  for  his  education  breaks  caste,  but  this 
has  become  so  common  that  it  is  winked  at  calmly. 

Caste  cannot  be  accounted  for  completely,  even  by  those 
who  have  studied  it  most  deeply.  Even  so  simple  a  fact  as 
the  exact  number  of  castes  is  not  known.  There  are  so  many 
subdivisions,  conditions  differ  so  greatly  in  different  parts 
of  the  country,  and  caste  lines  are  being  so  altered  that 
much  uncertainty  exists. 

The  Hindus  were  early  roughly  divided  into  four  classes. 
First  came  the  priests,  called  Brahmins,  then  the  warriors, 
called  Kshatriyas,  then  the  farmers,  the  Vaisyas.  Under- 
neath and  not  considered  worthy  to  associate  with  the  others, 
were  the  Sudras,  the  menial  laborers,  who  were  probably 
Aryans   with  aboriginal  blood,   or  even  pure  Dravidians,  as 


WHO  IS  MV  BROTHER?  [lis] 

the  old  inhabitants  are  called.  The  system  of  caste  started 
then  with  these  four  classes.  The  key  to  the  whole  system 
has  always  been  the  Brahmin.  He  early  made  himself  in- 
dispensable to  the  life  of  the  people,  and  then  made  his  posi- 
tion all  the  more  secure  by  the  imposition  of  the  caste  sys- 
tem. So  long  as  this  condition  exists,  he  is  in  the  place  of 
supreme  influence  and  honor. 

When  the  Aryan  ancestors  of  the  Hindus  first  came  into 
India,  the  father  was  the  priest  of  the  family.  Each  head 
of  a  family  was  considered  competent  to  conduct  the  whole 
ritual  of  sacrifice  without  help  from  any  outsider.  But  great 
changes  gradually  crept  in.  Worship  consisted  largely  of 
sacrifice  and  its  attendant  ritual.  More  and  more  the  con- 
viction grew  that  the  efficacy  of  a  sacrifice  consisted  in  the 
correctness  of  the  ritual.  The  sincerity  of  a  man's  intentions 
and  the  quality  of  his  life  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  ac- 
ceptability of  his  worship  to  the  gods. 

As  the  importance  of  sacrifice  and  ritual  grew  in  the  minds 
of  the  people,  the  burden  of  mastering  the  details  of  a 
growingly  elaborate  worship  naturally  increased  greatly.  A 
man  busy  with  the  cares  of  Hfe,  with  a  family  to  support, 
simply  could  not  take  the  time  to  become  expert  and  exact  in 
matters  connected  with  sacrifice  and  ritual.  He  must  turn 
them  over  to  the  priestly  class,  who  undertook  to  conduct  all 
the  sacrifices  in  exact  accordance  with  the  regulations.  The 
priestly  class  soon  came  to  dominate  the  whole  life  of  the 
people,  who  were  helpless  and  in  the  hands  of  men  who  held 
the  keys  of  life  and  death,  and  were  determined  to  maintain 
their  control. 

The  Brahmin  came  to  be  regarded  as  a  god  among  men. 
"Verily,  there  are  two  kinds  of  gods,  for  indeed  the  gods  are 
the  gods ;  and  the  Brahmans  who  have  studied  and  teach 
sacred  lore  are  the  human  gods."  Not  all  the  Brahmins 
today  devote  themselves  to  the  sacred  calling,  but  by  virtue 
of  his  caste  every  Brahmin  is  sacred  and  inviolable.  Whether 
he  be  a  rich  merchant,  a  trusted  civil  servant  of  the  govern- 
ment, or  a  poor  beggar  on  the  streets,  he  is  holy  and  revered. 

23 


[II-s]  THE  J'AITIIS  or  MANKIND 

No  bondage  has  ever  been   so  complete  or  unquestioned  as 
that  of  the  Brahmin  priesthood. 

The  leadership  of  the  Brahmins  was  based  on  real  ability. 
As  a  class  they  have  always  been  superior  to  all  others  in 
intelligence  and  learning.  They  guarded  the  sacred  books, 
which  had  come  down  out  of  the  past,  with  jealous  care,  not 
allowing  the  profane  lips  of  the  lesser  castes  to  utter  the 
sacred  texts.  They  protected  the  purity  of  their  blood  more 
successfully  than  did  others,  and  preserved  with  religious 
care  the  old  traditions  of  their  people.  They  have  been  the 
priests,  the  writers,  the  poets,  the  philosophers  of  India  from 
the  beginning,  with  few  to  ofTer  effective  resistance.  No 
wonder  they  moulded  India  according  to  their  own  will,  and 
today  stand  as  a  bulwark  against  all  attempts  to  change  the 
current  of  Indian  life.  A  Brahmin  may  be  abreast  of  all 
the  learning  of  the  west,  he  may  be  a  graduate  of  Oxford 
or  Cambridge,  but  as  a  leader  of  his  people  he  still  stands  for 
child  marriage,  the  enforced  celibacy  of  widows,  and  all  the 
superstitions  of  the  ages — a  strange  paradox,  to  be  sure,  and 
exceedingly  difficult  to  be  patient  with,  when  millions  of  our 
fellow  beings  now  in  the  clutches  of  a  debasing  superstition 
might  be  liberated  by  the  magic  influence  of  so  powerful  a 
priesthood. 

V 

Some  good  things  may  be  said  about  caste.  In  many  cases 
it  acts  like  a  trade  guild  or  a  labor  union  in  our  country.  It 
looks  after  its  own  members  and  prevents  suffering  and  want 
in  times  of  scarcity  or  famine.  A  man  feels  he  has  friends 
who  can  be  counted  upon.  A  real  solidarity  is  thus  attained, 
which  tends  toward  stability  and  its  consequent  well-being. 
But  when  all  has  been  said  in  its  favor,  the  count  against 
caste  is  overwhelming.  In  our  time  it  is  the  chief  obstacle 
in  the  way  of  Indian  nationalism.  Not  patriotism  but  loyalty 
to  caste  is  the  Hindus'  supreme  obligation.  Many  Hindus 
recognize  it  and  bemoan  the  condition,  but  the  fact  is,  believe 
in  it  or  not,  they  all  conform.    All  the  reformers  of  the  past 

24 


WHO  IS  MY  BROTHER?  [II-s] 

and  present  have  in  one  way  or  another  planted  themselves 
against  the  stream,  only  to  be  swept  aside  by  the  irresistible 
current.  With  all  that  can  be  said  against  caste,  nothing 
more  unanswerable  has  ever  been  charged  than  this,  that  it 
makes  impossible  unity  and  brotherhood  among  the  Indian 
peoples.  "Who  is  my  brother?"  asks  a  Hindu.  "Only  those 
in  my  own  caste,"  comes  the  inevitable  answer.  He  is 
despised  by  those  of  higher  caste,  while  he  in  turn  holds  all 
those  below  him  in  like  contempt.  And  when  it  comes  to  the 
50,000,000  outcastes  in  India,  the  poor  miserable  dregs  of  the 
population,  even  their  touch  is  polluting.  Yes,  more  than 
this,  even  their  shadow  falling  on  the  food  which  has  been 
prepared  for  a  high  caste  man  contaminates  it  so  that  it  must 
be  thrown  out. 

The  splendid  opportunity  which  the  priestly  class  possessed 
was  used,  it  would  seem,  primarily  to  increase  their  own 
power  and  render  the  people  more  hopelessly  dependent  upon 
them.  The  pitiable  condition  of  India  today  must  be  laid  in 
large  measure  at  the  door  of  these  misguided  leaders.  Se- 
cure in  their  own  power,  they  have  allowed  the  people  to 
remain  in  abject  ignorance.  Claiming  to  be  inherently  better 
than  any  other  class,  they  have  bound  even  more  firmly  the 
bonds  of  caste  upon  the  whole  land.  The  rest  of  the  people 
have  taken  their  cue  from  them  and  are  consequently  split 
and  divided  up  into  innumerable  exclusive  communities, 
incapable  of  united  action.  The  India  of  today,  with  its  de- 
sire after  new  life  and  independence,  finds  the  way  blocked 
by  caste.  With  no  true  unity,  no  real  sense  of  brotherhood, 
no  mutual  sympathy,  India  is  paying  the  price  of  her  age- 
long subservience  to  a  proud,  priestly  class,  whose  ideal  was 
not  service  but  self-aggrandizement.  The  old  question,  who 
is  my  brother?  is  clamorously  asking  to  be  answered  anew, 
and  not  until  the  answer  given  is  based  on  the  rights  of 
man  as  man  and  on  the  equality  which  comes  through  Jesus 
Christ,  the  Son  of  man,  can  India  hope  to  take  her  place 
among  the  nations  which  are  warring  and  struggling  to  make 
sure  the  day  of  true  democracy. 

25 


Ill  >J  Till:  I  Alius   01-  M.LXKIXD 

Suggestions  for  Thoucjut  and  Discission 

I.  JVhat  Brotherhood  Is 

Givf  the  best  definition  you  can  of  l)rotherhood.  What 
is  the  most  convincing  test  of  brotherliood?  How  could 
a  man  who  understands  only  a  strange  language  find  out 
what  you  meant  by  brotherhood? 

II.  Caste  and  Brotherhood 

What  led  the  Indian  people  in  the  beginning  to  form 
castes?  Were  they  justified?  Do  we  have  castes  or  a 
caste  system  in  this  country?     Are  we  justified? 

III.  The  Brahmins  and  the  Community 

What  do  the  Hindus  owe  to  the  Brahmins?  What  is  the 
net  result  in  the  whole  community  of  their  dominance? 
What  responsibilities  accompany  intellectual  and  moral 
power?  Have  we  any  Brahmins  in  our  civilization?  What 
are  the  distinguishing  marks?  What  steps  must  we  take  to 
fulfil  the  American  promise  of  complete  intellectual  de- 
mocracy ? 

("A  Primer  of  Hinduism,"  by  J.  N.  Farqnhar,  is  an  ex- 
cellent handbook  to  use  in  connection  with  this  and  the  fol- 
lowing chapters.) 


26 


CHAPTER  III 

LIKE  GODS,  LIKE  PEOPLE 

Every  religion  has  its  definitions  of  purity  and  cleanness. 
Physical,  ceremonial,  moral,  and  spiritual  purity  are  but  dif- 
ferent sides  of  the  question,  What  does  it  mean  to  be  clean? 
India  furnishes  answers  of  all  kinds.  An  outline  study  of 
the  meaning  of  these  terms  in  the  Bible  will  serve  not  only  as 
a  basis  of  comparison  between  Hinduism  and  our  own  reli- 
gion, but  will  clarify  our  minds  as  to  what  really  is  pure  and 
impure  in  the  life  we  live  and  in  the  people  around  us. 

Daily  Readings 

First  Day  :  The  ideas  entertained  by  the  early  Hebrews 
as  to  what  was  clean  and  unclean  were  rooted  in  traditions 
extending  much  farther  back  than  their  existence  as  a  separate 
people.  All  peoples  in  the  savage  state  have  very  distinct 
ideas  on  the  subject.  A  most  useful  service  was  rendered  by 
these  strict  prohibitions :  they  kept  alive  in  men's  minds  the 
fact  that  there  was  a  distinction  between  clean  and  unclean. 

The  book  of  Leviticus  is  the  great  repository  of  the  cere- 
monial laws  of  the  Hebrews.  As  an  illustration  of  its  rules 
and  regulations  read  the  following: 

And  Jehovah  spake  unto  Moses  and  to  Aaron,  say- 
ing unto  them.  Speak  unto  the  children  of  Israel, 
'  saying,  These  are  the  living  things  which  ye  may  eat 
among  all  the  beasts  that  are  on  the  earth.  Whatso- 
ever parteth  the  hoof,  and  is  cloven-footed,  and  chew- 
eth  the  cud,  among  the  beasts,  that  may  ye  eat.  .  .  . 
And  the  swine,  because  he  parteth  the  hoof,  and  is 
cloven-footed,  but  cheweth  not  the  cud,  he  is  unclean 
unto  you.  Of  their  flesh  ye  shall  not  eat,  and  their 
27 


(III-2]  THE  TAITUS  OJ'  MAXKIND 

carcasses  ye  shall  not  touch  ;  they  are  unclean  unto 
you.— Lev.   ii  :  1-3,  7,  8. 

We  cat  pork  today — why  do  you  think  it  was  excluded 
from  the  diet  of  the  Jew?  If  you  cannot  answer  the  ques- 
tion, remember  at  least  one  thing,  that  the  Jew  felt  very 
deeply  that  he  would  be  morally  contaminated  by  eating  it. 

Second  D.w  :  These  strict  laws  resulted  in  separating  the 
Hebrew  people  from  their  neighbors.  They  were  not  allowed 
to  do  what  they  saw  others  do. 

Ye  shall  therefore  keep  all  my  statutes,  and  all 
mine  ordinances,  and  do  them;  that  the  land,  whither 
I  bring  you  to  dwell  therein,  vomit  you  not  out.  And 
ye  shall  not  walk  in  the  customs  of  the  nation,  which 
I  cast  out  before  you:  for  they  did  all  these  things, 
and  therefore  I  abhorred  them.  .  .  .  And  ye  shall 
be  holy  unto  me :  for  I,  Jehovah,  am  holy,  and  have 
set  you  apart  from  the  peoples,  that  ye  should  be 
mine. — Lev.  20 :  22,  23,  26. 

Is  there  any  wonder  they  felt  themselves  to  be  a  chosen 
people,  separate  and  distinct  from  the  nations  around  them? 
"Gentile"  and  "unclean"  became  almost  synonymous,  and  the 
fact  is,  they  .did  have  in  their  law  and  traditions  what  others 
lacked  and  sorely  needed.  If  the  attitude  they  took  was 
right,  on  what  basis  could  it  be  justified?  What  did  the 
distinction  between  clean  and  unclean  have  to  do  with  it? 

Third  Day  :  We  must  not  think  all  the  laws  on  which  the 
distinction  between  pure  and  impure  was  made  were  cere- 
monial laws.  This  would  be  to  discredit  the  legal  sections  of 
the  Old  Testament  and  hide  their  chief  glory.  A  clean  man 
was  one  who  not  only  obeyed  the  restrictions  as  to  food, 
touching  carcasses,  etc.,  but  was  morally  uncontaminated. 

Thou  shalt  have  no  other  gods  before  me. 
Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  a  graven  image.    .    .    . 
Thou   shalt  not  take  the  name  of  Jehovah   thy  God 
in  vain.    .     .     . 

28 


LIKE  GODS,  LIKE  PEOPLE  [III-4] 

Remember  the  sabbath  day,  to  keep  it  holy.    .    .    . 

Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother.   .    .    . 

Thou  shalt  not  kill. 

Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery. 

Thou  shalt  not  steal. 

Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness.   .    .    . 

Thou  shalt  not  covet. — Exodus  20:  3-17. 

Yet  the  tendency  to  emphasize  the  ceremonial  over  the 
moral  became  a  characteristic  tendency  among  the  leaders  of 
the  people.  To  be  clean  was  very  frequently  to  observe  the 
ceremonial  and  to  neglect  the  more  important  moral  re- 
quirements. 

Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites ! 
for  ye  tithe  mint  and  anise  and  cummin,  and  have 
left  undone  the  weightier  matters  of  the  law,  justice, 
and  mercy,  and  faith :  but  these  ye  ought  to  have 
done,  and  not  to  have  left  the  other  undone.  Ye 
blind  guides,  that  strain  out  the  gnat,  and  swallow 
the  camel  '.—Matt.  23  :  23-24. 

Fourth  Day  :  In  two  important  respects  Jesus  introduced 
revolutionary  ideas  into  the  conception  of  clean  and  unclean. 
Keeping  in  mind  the  regulations  from  Leviticus  in  the  read- 
ing for  the  First  Day,  read  Jesus'  word  about  the  same 
thing : 

There  is  nothing  from  without  the  man,  that  going 
into  him  can  defile  him ;  but  the  things  which  proceed 
out  of  the  man  are  those  that  defile  the  man.  .  .  . 
For  from  within,  out  of  the  heart  of  men,  evil 
thoughts  proceed,  fornications,  thefts,  murders,  adul- 
teries, covetings,  wickednesses,  deceit,  lasciviousness, 
an  evil  eye,  railing,  pride,  foolishness :  all  these  evil 
things  proceed  from  within,  and  defile  the  man. — 
Mark  7:  15,  21-23. 

If  you  had  been  a  strict  follower  of  the  Levitical  code, 
what  difference  would  it  have  made  in  actual  conduct  to  be- 
come a  follower  of  Jesus? 

29 


IIII-5]  THE  l-AITIIS  OF  MAXKISD 

Jesus  went   further  than  this  even.     He  revolutionized  our 

whole  idea  of  what  morality   itself  is.     A  clean   man   is  not 

only  one   whose  outward   acts  are  above   reproach,  but  one 
whose  thoughts  and  motives  are  pure. 

Woe  unto  you.  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites! 
for  ye  are  like  unto  whited  sepulchres,  which  out- 
wardly appear  beautiful,  but  inwardly  are  full  of 
dead  men's  bones,  and  of  all  uncleanness.  Even  so 
ye  also  outwardly  appear  righteeous  unto  men,  but 
inwardly  ye  are  full  of  hypocrisy  and  iniquity. — 
Matt.  23  :  27,  28. 

Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart :  for  they  shall  see 
God.    .     .     . 

Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said  to  them  of  old  time, 
Thou  shalt  not  kill ;  and  whosoever  shall  kill  shall  be 
in  danger  of  the  judgment:  but  I  say  unto  you,  that 
every  one  who  is  angry  with  his  brother  shall  be  in 
danger  of  the  judgment.    .     .     . 

Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said,  Thou  shalt  not  com- 
mit adultery  :  but  I  say  unto  you,  that  every  one  that 
looketh  on  a  woman  to  lust  after  her  hath  committed 
adultery  with  her  already  in  his  heart. — Matt.  5:8, 
21,  22,  2y,  28. 

Could  anything  be  more  scathing  or  searching?  What  now 
is  your  definition  of  purity? 

Fifth  Day  :  Jesus  was  altogether  consistent  in  his  attitude. 
No  man  was  unclean  in  his  estimation  because  of  any  out- 
ward circumstances  whatsoever.  The  ceremonial  was  en- 
tirely subordinated  to  the  moral.  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in 
heart,"  are  his  words.  The  Pharisee  in  proud  disdain  mar- 
velled at  the  company  he  kept. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  that  he  was  sitting  at  meat 
in  his  house,  and  many  publicans  and  sinners  sat 
down  with  Jesus  and  his  disciples :  for  there  were 
many,  and  they  followed  him.  And  the  scribes  of 
the  Pharisees,  when  they  saw  that  he  was  eating  with 
the    sinners    and    publicans,    said    unto    his    disciples, 

30 


LIKE  GODS,  LIKE  PEOPLE  [III-6] 

How  is  it  that  he  eateth  and  drinketh  with  publicans 
and  sinners?  And  when  Jesus  heard  it,  he  saith 
unto  them,  They  that  are  whole  have  no  need  of  a 
physician,  but  they  that  are  sick :  I  came  not  to  call 
the  righteous,  but  sinners. — Mark  2:15-17. 

In  everything  formal  and  external  these  classes  were  far 
inferior  to  Jesus'  critics.  What  indication  does  this  give  us 
of  the  standard  of  Jesus'  estimate  of  men? 

Sixth  Day  :  Jesus'  conception  was  so  exalted  that  it  was 
not  easy  to  learn.  Peter  had  an  experience  which  opened  his 
eyes  to  the  wonder  of  the  new  teaching  about  cleanness  and 
uncleanness.  Recalling  the  story  of  Peter's  vision,  we  can 
hear  him  saying, 

I  was  in  the  city  of  Joppa  praying:  and  in  a  trance 
I  saw  a  vision,  a  certain  vessel  descending,  as  it  were 
a  great  sheet  let  down  from  heaven  by  four  corners; 
and  it  came  even  unto  me :  upon  which  when  I  had 
fastened  mine  eyes,  I  considered,  and  saw  the  four- 
footed  beasts  of  the  earth  and  wild  beasts  and  creep- 
ing things  and  birds  of  the  heaven.  And  I  heard  also 
a  voice  saying  unto  me.  Rise,  Peter ;  kill  and  eat. 
But  I  said.  Not  so,  Lord :  for  nothing  common  or 
unclean  hath  ever  entered  into  my  mouth.  But  a 
voice  answered  the  second  time  out  of  heaven.  What 
God  hath  cleansed,  make  not  thou  common. — Acts 
11:5-9- 

The  account  states  that  when  Peter  went  to  Caesarea  his 
first  words  were,  "Of  a  truth  I  perceive  that  God  is  no 
respecter  of  persons  :  but  in  every  nation  he  that  feareth  him, 
and  worketh  righteousness,  is  acceptable  to  him."  (Acts 
10:34-35-) 

Seventh  Day:  Paul  tells  us  he  learned  what  sin  was  by 
that  commandment  which  said,  "Thou  shalt  not  covet"  (see 
Rom.  7:  7-1 1 ).  It  was  the  only  commandment  which  was 
a  prohibition  of  an  inner  desire;  all  the  others  had  to  do  with 

31 


[III-s]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MAXKIXD 

conduct,  with  outward  acts.  He  found  those  not  difficult  to 
obey,  but  he  went  to  pieces  at  this  point — he  could  not  con- 
trol his  desires.  He  never  forgot  the  lesson  that  cleanness 
is  first  a  matter  of  the  inner  life  and  that  all  else  is  secondary. 

But  food  will  not  commend  us  to  God:  neither,  if 
we  eat  not,  are  we  the  worse;  nor,  if  we  eat,  are  we 
the  better.— I  Cor.  8:8. 

I  know,  and  am  persuaded  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  that 
nothing  is  unclean  of  itself:  save  that  to  him  who 
accounteth  anything  to  be  unclean,  to  him  it  is  un- 
clean.— Rom.   14:14. 

To  the  pure  all  things  are  pure:  but  to  them  that 
are  defiled  and  unbelieving  nothing  is  pure ;  but  both 
their  mind  and  their  conscience  are  defiled. — Titus 
i:  15- 

Remember  in  thinking  about  these  verses  that  Paul  was 
most  scrupulous  about  his  conduct;  what  he  is  emphasiz- 
ing is  that  nothing  which  God  has  made  is  impure  in  itself. 
All  uncleanness  is  man-made  and  comes  from  the  abuse  of 
what  God  made  pure  and  good. 

Study  for  the  Week 

I 

The  statement  was  made  in  the  last  study  that  orthodoxy 
in  Hinduism  is  conformity  to  caste  regulations,  and  that  be- 
yond this  anything  might  go.  This  is  very  far,  however, 
from  saying  that  a  Hindu  is  indifferent  to  questions  of  belief 
and  worship.  He  takes  these  things  very  seriously  and 
looks  upon  them  as  indispensable.  The  strange  thing  is,  there 
is  every  kind  of  belief  and  every  kind  of  worship.  Nothing 
is  too  extravagant  or  outlandish  to  be  included  in  the  theology 
and  ritual  and  even  the  ethical  code  of  Hinduism.  There  is 
no  limit  to  its  powers  of  assimilation.  The  one  reason  why 
Jesus  Christ  is  not  enumerated  among  the  gods  of  Hinduism 
is  that  there  is  something  in  Christ  Himself  which  seems  in- 
evitably to  defy  such  an  appropriation.     The  attitude  toward 

32 


LIKE  GODS,  LIKE  PEOPLE  [III-s] 

Jesus  Christ  which  the  Hindu  objects  to  most  strenuously 
and  cannot  understand  is  that  expressed  by  Peter  to  the 
rulers  of  the  Jews,  when  he  said,  "And  in  none  other  is  there 
salvation  :  for  neither  is  there  any  other  name  under  heaven, 
that  is  given  among  men,  wherein  we  must  be  saved"  (Acts 
4:12). 

Hinduism  is  so  broad  that  almost  any  way  of  salvation 
will  do.  So  long  as  the  man  is  devoted  to  his  gods,  it  makes 
little  difference  what  kind  of  gods  they  are.  And  in  Hindu- 
ism we  have  every  kind,  representing  every  degree  of  moral 
attainment  and  even  moral  failure.  The  individual  Hindu  may 
view  all  the  gods  and  all  the  methods  of  worship  in  the  land 
as  legitimate,  yet  at  the  same  time  he  has  his  own  particular 
gods  and  ceremonies  to  which  he  devotes  his  attention.  In 
general  a  man  believes  what  has  been  handed  down  to  him, 
and  here  the  traditions  of  his  family  are  most  influential. 

II 

Looking  over  Hinduism  broadly  today  the  people  are  seen 
to  be  adherents  of  one  or  the  other  of  two  great  sects,  the 
worshipers  of  Siva  and  the  worshipers  of  Vishnu. 

The  worship  of  Siva  is  found  principally  in  the  South  of 
India.  The  Sivites,  as  they  are  called,  worship  not  only  the 
great  and  terrible  Siva  himself,  but  his  wives,  among  whom 
the  best  known  are  probably  Kali  and  Durga.  Ganesa,  the 
son  of  Siva,  the  elephant-headed  god  of  wisdom,  is  very 
widely  revered  and  worshiped.  Where  Siva  himself  is  wor- 
shiped, no  images  or  idols  are  to  be  found,  the  ever  present 
phallus,  the  emblem  of  the  sect,  being  the  chief  symbol  and 
object  of  worship.  Kali  is  represented  in  her  temples  as  a 
devilish  woman  hungry  for  blood,  with  her  tongue  hanging 
over  her  breast  and  with  her  feet  planted  on  the  body  of  her 
husband,  whom  she  has  just  killed.  She  holds  the  head  of 
her  dead  spouse  in  one  of  her  numerous  hands,  and  is 
rendered  the  more  repulsive  by  a  necklace  of  skulls  and  a 
hideous  face.  Kali  is  the  only  prominent  divinity  of  India 
who    demands    bloody    sacrifices.      At    regular    periods    her 

33 


[III-s]  THE  FAITHS  OP  MANKIND 

tongue   is   spattered   with   the  blood  of  calves   and  goats  to 
appease  her  thirst   for  blood. 

Siva  and  his  wives  represent  in  part  the  stern,  cruel,  de- 
structive forces  in  the  world.  Why  anyone  should  be  le.d 
to  worship  such  deities  is  hard  for  us  to  understand.  It  can- 
not be  doubted,  however,  that  in  each  of  us  there  are  ele- 
ments of  the  tragic,  and  that  the  dreadful  has  a  strange 
fascination  for  us.  Had  we  been  brought  up  where  the  cruel- 
forces  of  nature  seemed  to  be  able  to  vent  themselves  against 
us,  then  might  we  not  hope  to  be  better  off  if  we  offered  them 
worship  and  devotion?  It  would  not  fill  us  with  hope  and 
joy,  but  it  might  seem  the  only  thing  we  could  do.  At  any 
rate,  whatever  may  be  the  explanation,  millions  of  our  fellow 
beings  are  doing  just  this  thing.  What  effect  can  worship 
of  such  gods  have  upon  these  whose  horizon  has  no  place 
for  nobler,  truer  conceptions  of  divinity?  To  say  the  least, 
there  can  be  little  to  lift  life  out  of  its  dreary  fears  and  set 
it  on  its  way  rejoicing  in  joy  and  peace. 

Ill 

The  worshipers  of  Vishnu  are  to  be  found  principally  in 
the  North.  Vishnu  is  worshiped  not  so  much  in  his  own  per- 
son as  in  that  of  his  various  incarnations.  The  most  famous 
of  these  are  Rama  and  Krishna,  the  latter  being  worshiped 
in  all  probability  more  than  any  other  of  the  gods  of  India. 
The  idea  of  incarnation  has  just  been  mentioned.  Not  found 
in  the  worship  of  Siva,  it  is  one  of  the  leading  conceptions 
among  the  Vaishnavas,  as  the  worshipers  of  Vishnu  are 
called.  Krishna  is  Vishnu  in  the  flesh,  to  borrow  a  Christian 
term.  He  was  a  man  and  lived  a  human  life  like  Jesus,  yet 
how  unlike  Jesus !  Whatever  good  might  come  from  the 
clear  revelation  of  a  god  in  human  form,  it  is  vitiated  by 
the  career  and  character  of  Krishna  himself.  The  story  of 
the  human-divine  warrior  in  the  great  epic,  the  Mahabarata, 
and  elsewhere  pictures  him  as  falling  in  love  with  an  end- 
less succession  of  shepherd  maidens  and  begetting  children 
by   the  thousands.     No  purity,  no  high   ideals  of   home  life, 

34 


LIKE  GODS,  LIKE  PEOPLE  [III-s] 

no  conception  of  an  ennobling  relation  between  men  and 
women  mark  his  earthly  life.  What  must  be  the  thoughts 
suggested  to  the  minds  of  those  who  read  the  ancient  poem 
and  worship  at  his  shrine? 

A  further  factor  must  be  taken  into  consideration.  The 
new  element  in  worship  is  called  Bhakti,  which  means  devo- 
tion to  the  god,  a  kind  of  faith  or  trust  in  Krishna.  A  wor- 
shiper is  not  compelled  to  consider  himself  as  estranged 
from  an  angry,  far-away  deity.  He  may  pour  out  his  soul 
to  his  god  in  adoration  and  devotion,  and  feel  sure  there  is 
a  response.  All  this  is  a  movement  in  the  right  direction, 
just  as  is  true  with  the  idea  of  incarnation.  The  trouble  with 
the  whole  thing  is  that  the  god  who  is  worshiped  and 
to  whom  men  are  asked  to  devote  themselves  is  unworthy 
of  the  best,  even  in  man  himself.  And  when  it  is  realized 
that  men  tend  to  become  like  the  objects  of  their  worship, 
the  seriousness  of  the  situation  in  India  is  apparent. 

Together  with  Siva  and  Vishnu,  and  forming  a  kind  of 
trinity,  is  the  figure  of  Brahma.  He  is  looked  upon  as  an 
exalted,  personal  creator,  a  kind  of  necessary  background 
to  all  things.  He  has  one  temple,  and  little  worship  is 
directed  to  him,  but  he  is  there  as  a  conception,  a  necessity 
to  the  Hindu  mind  as  it  looks  out  into  the  great  unknown. 
The  significant  question  is,  how  do  the  Hindus  really  look 
on  their  gods?  Here  we  get  very  far  down  into  the  depths 
of  the  Hindu  soul.  He  has  never  been  able  to  get  away 
from  the  haunting  suggestion  that  the  gods  are  not  the 
most  important  thing  after  all.  This  tendency  has  ex- 
pressed itself  in  various  ways.  The  people  tend  to  neglect 
the  gods  even  while  they  worship  them.  They  have  raised 
the  priesthood  and  sacrifices  and  prayer,  the  various  elements 
of  worship,  to  a  place  of  such  importance  that  these  have 
seemed  in  reality  more  necessary  than  the  gods  themselves. 
It  does  not  make  so  much  difference  what  god  is  worshiped, 
provided  it  is  done  correctly!  Could  anything  l)e  stranger? 
But  India  is  strange,  so  we  must  not  be  surprised  at  any- 
thing. 

35 


[III-s]  THE  FAITHS  01-  M.IXKIXD 

IV 

This  same  feeling  that  there  is  something  back  of  the 
gods  and  more  important  than  they  has  another  and  even 
more  significant  expression.  Away  back  in  the  beginnings 
in  the  Rigveda  many  gods  are  mentioned  and  praised.  To 
read  any  one  of  these  hymns,  to  Agni  say  or  Varuna,  one 
might  conclude  that  it  was  written  by  a  monotheist,  that  this 
one  god  filled  his  horizon  and  was  the  sole  object  of  his 
adoration.  But  to  our  amazement  the  same  attitude  is  as- 
sumed toward  another  and  still  another  of  these  mighty 
beings.  This  attitude,  however,  seems  to  have  been  only  a 
stepping-stone.  The  Hindu  could  not  remain  long  at  this 
halfway  house.  Before  long  these  various  gods  were  looked 
upon  as  manifestations  of  some  being  or  power  back  of  them 
all.  The  Hindu  was  reaching  out  after  a  unity,  and  the 
wonderful  thing  is,  he  found  it.  Over  and  above  and  in  all 
things,  constituting  and  comprehending  them  all,  was  Brahma, 
or  Brahman.  You  say  this  is  pantheism,  and  so  it  is,  the  most 
extreme  form  of  that  doctrine  ever  held  by  any  large  group 
of  men.  Of  course  it  was  elaborated  by  the  learned  Brahmin 
at  the  top,  but  in  no  country  has  a  philosophical  theory  pene- 
trated so  deeply  the  whole  life  of  a  people  as  in  India. 
Whether  they  realize  it  or  not,  the  people  of  India  are  bound 
by  the  fatalism  and  pessimism  of  the  doctrine  of  their  lead- 
ers. The  sense  of  the  unreality  of  what  is  seen  by  the  eye 
and  felt  by  the  hand  is  abroad  in  the  land — a  kind  of  world- 
weariness  ;  a  far-away,  wistful  look  is  in  the  eye,  as  though 
men  would  escape  from  the  bondage  of  the  physical  and  ma- 
terial and  fly  away  to  their  real  home  in  the  unseen  beyond. 

Brahma  is  all  the  reality  there  is.  Nothing  else  exists  at  all, 
not  one  single  thing.  Then  how  does  it  come  that  we  our- 
selves seem  to  be  real  beings,  and  that  trees  and  houses  exist? 
All  this  is  Maya,  illusion.  We  are  completely  mistaken, 
sadly  misguided  by  our  senses.  It  comes  about  then  that  the 
great  object  in  life  is  to  get  rid  of  this  illusion,  to  realize 
that  nothing  exists  except  Brahma.   We  are  to  carry  this  con- 

36 


LIKE  GODS,  LIKE  PEOPLE  [Ills] 

ception  to  the  extreme  limit,  until  we  can  enter  fully  into  the 
meaning  of  the  thought  that  we  are  Brahma  and  that  Brahma 
is  ourselves,  and  that  there  is  nothing  else  in  the  universe. 
This  has  led  to  the  practice  of  meditation  and  all  kinds  of 
austerities  to  induce  a  kind  of  self-hypnosis,  all  with  the  aim 
of  ending  the  illusion  and  losing  ourselves  in  Brahma. 

The  outlook  is  hopeless.  About  all  we  can  expect  in  this 
life  or  stage  of  existence  is  to  make  a  little  progress.  What 
we  have  to  look  forward  to  is  an  almost  endless  series  of 
transmigrations,  during  the  weary  course  of  which  we  shall 
be  born  into  other  forms,  some  higher,  but  alas !  some  per- 
haps far  lower.  All  this  is  determined  by  the  action  of 
Karma,  the  law  by  which  we  inevitably  reap  the  fruit  of  our 
present  actions  in  the  next  life,  and  so  on  until— what?  Until 
in  the  end  our  illusion  is  completely  dissipated  and  we  ar- 
rive at  our  goal — but  such  a  goal !  It  is  to  drop  back  into 
the  nothingness  of  Brahma  out  of  which  we  came.  As  a 
matter  of  fact,  all  Hindus,  whatever  else  they  may  hold,  be- 
Ijeve  in  transmigration  and  in  the  efifects  of  the  law  of 
Karma.  This  theory  hangs  like  a  pall  over  the  fair  land  of 
India.  There  is  scarcely  the  slightest  flicker  of  hope;  ac- 
tivity and  endeavor  are  frustrated  by  the  fatal  working  of 
Karma,  and  there  can  be  little  or  no  development  of  per- 
sonality. How  could  there  be,  when  personality  is  denied  in 
the  Brahma  into  which  we  sink  back,  when  our  misspent 
existence  finishes  its  miserable  tale? 


All  the  significant  acts  in  the  life  of  a  Hindu  are  con- 
nected with  religion.  There  are  certain  domestic  ceremonies, 
the  observance  of  which  "is  absolutely  binding  on  every 
man  who  wishes  to  remain  a  Hindu."  There  is  the  cere- 
mony of  "name-giving"  and  that  of  "food-giving"  in  baby- 
hood, which  are  usually  observed  together.  The  ceremony 
of  initiation  is  highly  important.  It  is  a  boy's  introduction  to 
his   religious  training.     Sacred  texts  are  muttered   over  him 

37 


[III-s]  THE  I- Amis  or -MANKIND 

by  a  Brahmin  priest  and  he  is  invested  with  the  sacred 
thread,  which  is  placed  over  his  shoulder.  He  is  born  into 
a  new  life,  hence  all  those  really  belonging  to  the  Hindu 
community  are  known  as  the  "twice-born."-  The  last  essential 
ceremony  for  the  young  man  is  marriage,  which  becomes 
doubly  significant  in  view  of  the  stringency  of  caste  rules. 
Even  to  the  end  of  his  life  he  feels  bound  by  caste  regula- 
tions. 

Then  there  is  ancestor  worship.  The  bodies  of  the  dead 
are  burned  in  India,  the  ceremony  being  carried  out  by  low 
caste  men,  because  everything  connected  with  death  is  inaus- 
picious and  even  polluting.  For  ten  days  funeral  ceremonies 
are  conducted,  the  most  characteristic  feature  of  which  being 
the  offering  of  a  ball  of  cooked  rice  to  the  spirit  of  the  de- 
parted. On  the  eleventh  day  an  elaborate  ceremony  is  ob- 
served. For  the  first  year  this  ceremony  is  repeated  each 
month,  and  after  that  time  the  ceremonies  become  annual 
affairs. 

The  worship  of  the  gods  takes  many  forms.  As  Mr. 
Farquhar  classifies  them,  we  have  "(i)  Daily  prayers,  con- 
nected with  bathing  and  teeth-cleaning,  and  daily  sacrifices. 
.  .  .  (2)  The  daily  worship  of  the  household  gods.  .  .  . 
(3)  The  recurrent  festivals,  fasts,  and  holydays.  .  .  .  (4) 
The  worship  of  the  temple.  This  takes  a  large  place  in  the 
lives  of  all  Hindus  except  modern  educated  men,  who  very 
seldom  go  near  a  temple  at  all,  at  least  in  the  North." 

The  religious  life  is  stimulated  by  the  great  festivals  or 
mclas,  held  periodically  at  well  known  centers,  like  Puri  and 
Benares  and  Allahabad.  Here  the  people  gather  in  thousands, 
some  traveling  long  distances  in  their  religious  devotion. 
They  are  frequently  attended  by  devotees,  who  in  fulfilment 
of  a  vow  have  measured  the  whole  distance  in  the  dust  and 
dirt  with  their  bodies.  Here  also  are  to  be  found  the  "holy 
men"  of  India,  the  fakirs,  who  by  various  forms  of  self- 
torture  are  seeking  to  please  their  divinities — that  is,  when 
they  are  sincere,  for  among  them  are  many  who  are  true 
fakirs    in    the    American    county-fair    sense,    seeking    to    win 

38 


LIKE  GODS,  LIKE  PEOPLE  [III-s] 

shekels  by  a  show  of  devotion  and  suffering.  Great  crowds 
gather  at  Benares  and  there  in  the  holiest  city  of  India  bathe 
in  the  sacred  waters  of  the  Ganges.  Cleansing  is  what  they 
want,  but  how  can  cleansing  be  found  in  dirty  offal-laden 
water  ? 

All  these  popular  manifestations  of  religion  are  looked  at 
askance  and  even  with  scorn  by  the  educated,  cultured  Hindu. 
He  considers  them  childish  and  meaningless.  He  pities  the 
poor,  benighted  crowd  which  gives  itself  to  this  form  of  re- 
ligious expression.  Yet  with  all  this  he  is  a  Hindu.  He 
observes  caste  rules  and  is  enamored  of  the  wonderful  past 
of  his  country  and  its  religious  literature.  He  claims  to  be 
in  the  true  line  of  succession  with  the  sages  of  old,  only  he 
has  risen  to  the  place  where  gross  manifestations,  such  as  the 
crowd  takes  delight  in,  mean  nothing  to  him.  He  pities  them 
all  and  will  have  nothing  to  do  with  their  worship.  Yet  he 
considers  himself  a  member  of  the  same  community  and  is 
extremely  sensitive  to  any  movement  away  from  the  ancient 
landmarks. 

VI 

And  is  this  all,  even  in  outline?  By  no  means.  "With  the 
exception  of  the  cultured  few,  the  whole  people  live  in  terror 
of  evil  spirits."  They  are  hemmed  in  by  superstitious  fears 
on  every  side.  How  disconcerting  it  is  to  read,  after  our  dis- 
cussion of  the  beliefs  and  worships  of  India,  that  ninety-five 
per  cent  of  the  Hindus  are  demon  worshipers!  Of  course 
this  is  alongside  the  worship  of  the  other  divinities,  but  what 
confusion!  There  is  nothing  these  people,  particularly  the 
simpler  people  in  the  villages,  do  not  worship,  literally 
nothing.  They  are  ignorant  and  full  of  fear,  they  turn  to  all 
the  gods  and  spirits  they  hear  about.  The  pathos  of  their 
condition  stirs  the  heart.  India  is  god-intoxicated  or  god- 
hungry,  which?  The  masses  of  the  Hindus  are  in  deplor- 
able ignorance,  and  subject  to  all  kinds  of  superstitious  fears. 
Does  it  not  indicate  a  lack  of  fundamental  strength  in  the 
Hindu  system  when  after  thousands   of  years  such    failures 

39 


flll-s]  THE  I-AITIIS  or  MANKIND 

mark  its  path?  Something  might  be  said  if  real  improve- 
ment could  be  discovered.  The  contrary  is  the  case — never 
was  Hinduism  less  able  than  today  to  accomplish  moral  and 
spiritual    regeneration   among   the  people   of    India. 

VII 

One  of  the  best  evidences  of  the  statement  just  made  is 
the  prevalent  religious  unrest  in  India  today,  and  various  at- 
tempts are  being  made  to  render  Hinduism  fit  to  meet  the 
changing  conditions  of  the  new  age.  More  than  a  score 
of  recent  attempts  have  been  made  to  put  life  into  the  decrepit 
body  of  Hinduism.  There  are  reactionary  movements  seek- 
ing by  devotion  and  enthusiasm  to  make  the  old  forms  pulse 
with  life  again.  One  of  the  most  significant  of  these  is  that 
led  by  Mrs.  Besant,  an  Englishwoman  who  lives  in  Benares 
and  has  founded  the  Central  Hindu  College,  where  Hinduism 
is  taught  and  extolled  in  its  entirety.  Mrs.  Besant  does  not 
stop  at  anything.  She  accepts  all  there  is  in  Hinduism,  and 
seeks  to  show  that  every  element,  lofty  and  degi-ading,  is  a 
real  element  of  an  ideal  religion.  Discredited  though  she  may 
be  in  the  estimation  of  many,  she  has  a  great  hold.  Hindus 
are  flattered  by  such  praise  as  this  brilliant  woman  pours  on 
all  things  Indian,  and  look  on  her  as  a  defender  of  their  faith. 

But  the  modern  spirit  and  modern  ideas  cannot  be  kept 
out,  and  we  find  movements,  like  that  of  the  Arya  Samaj, 
which  are  passionately  loyal  to  Hinduism  but  seek  to  intro- 
duce reforms.  Child  marriage  is  prohibited  and  under  cer- 
tain conditions  widows  are  allowed  to  remarry.  But  with 
these  good  regulations  are  to  be  found  others  most  repulsive 
to  our  moral  sense.  Thus  to  a  bitter  hatred  of  Christianity 
is  added  a  smattering  of  reform,  which  does  not  go  to  the 
fundamental  defects  of  the  Hindu  system  at  all.  But  the 
Samaj  has  grown  and  the  latest  figures  give  a  membership 
of  243.000. 

From  one  viewpoint  then  we  see  the  ancient  faiths  mak- 
ing   the    strongest    efforts    to    retain    their    old    position    of 

40 


LIKE  GODS,  LIKE  PEOPLE  [III-sJ 

dominance  over  the  life  of  India.  "But  there  is  another 
aspect  of  the  situation  which  requires  to  be  clearly  realized. 
The  triumphant  revival  of  the  old  religions,  with  their  grow- 
ing bodyguard  of  defence  organizations,  has  been  accompanied 
by  continuous  and  steadily  increasing  inner  decay.'' 

The  Hindu  mind  has  also  tried  to  find  some  half-way  stop- 
ping place  between  Hinduism  and  Christianity.  The  most  not- 
able attempt  in  this  direction  is  the  Brahmo  Samaj.  Founded 
nearly  a  century  ago  by  a  remarkable  Hindu,  named  Ram 
Mohan  Ro3%  it  has  attracted  the  allegiance  of  a  small  but 
influential  group  of  cultured  men,  and  is  still  a  force  in  India. 
To  this  group  belongs  the  well-known  Bengali  poet  and 
lecturer,  Rabindranath  Tagore,  whose  recent  visit  to  this 
country  attracted  so  much  attention.  Influenced  far  more 
by  the  Christian  spirit  than  in  many  cases  they  are  aware, 
these  men  have  discarded  all  the  crude  and  idolatrous  feat- 
ures of  Hinduism  and  seek  to  exemplify  the  best  ethical 
principles  of  Jesus  and  other  great  religious  leaders.  But 
halfway  houses  in  religious  history  have  always  been  built 
to  accommodate  too  few  people,  and  the  Brahmo  Samaj,  with 
its  little  handful  of  members,  is  a  striking  illustration  of  the 
futility  of  attempting  to  mix  Christianity  with  what  is  alien 
to  its  genius  and  in  the  end  to  make  a  convincing  appeal  to 
the  human  heart. 

The  air  is  full  of  expectancy.  India  has  already  been  deeply 
moved  by  Christianity.  With  all  the  many  movements  and 
counter-movements,  one  thing  we  may  be  sure  of — India  will 
remain  intensely  religious.  The  old  forms  still  have  tre- 
mendous hold,  but  India  is  asking  questions,  and  this  shows 
she  is  not  content.  Have  we  anything  which  will  help  her  to 
a  solution  more  satisfying?     What  is  it? 

Suggestions  for  Thought  and  Discussion 

I.     Ceremonial  and  Moral  Cleanness 

Can  a  man  be  clean  outwardly  and  not  inwardly?     Now 
turn  it  around,  can  a  man  be  clean  inwardly  and  not  out- 

41 


[III-s]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MANKIND 

wardly?  But  what  about  life  in  the  trenches?  State  as 
nearly  as  possible  the  ideal  relation  between  outward  and 
inward  cleanness. 

II.  Gods  jand  Their  Worship 

Distinguish  between  the  worship  of  Siva  and  that  of 
Vishnu.  Which  is  the  higher  form  of  worship?  Why? 
What  would  prevent  either  form  from  being  compared 
favorably  with  Christianity? 

III.  Philosophy  and  Life 

What  is  there  about  the  prevailing  philosophy  in  India 
which  fosters  a  pessimistic  outlook  on  life?  How  general 
is  this  pessimism?  What  kind  of  a  philosophy  or  theory 
of  life  is  needed  to  give  moral  energy  and  a  joyful  opti- 
mism to  these  people?  Where  can  such  an  outlook  on  life 
be  found? 

IV.  The  Changing  Situation 

What  has  changed  the  situation  in  India  so  that  men  are 
no  longer  quite  satisfied  with  the  old  theories?  What  is 
being  done  by  the  Hindus  to  meet  the  situation?  Have 
these  attempts  the  promise  of  success  in  them?  Give  rea- 
sons for  your  answer. 


CHAPTER  IV 

VANITY  OF  VANITIES,  ALL  IS  VANITY 

Buddhism  is  the  subject  of  study  for  this  and  the  next 
week.  For  a  Buddhist,  "all  the  constituents  of  life  are  mis- 
ery," to  use  a  phrase  taken  from  the  sacred  literature.  Life, 
then,  is  not  worth  living.  What  is  the  Christian  attitude 
toward  life?  What  is  its  meaning?  What  makes  it  worth 
living?  These  and  other  questions  are  bound  to  arise  in 
contrast  to  the  negations  of  Buddhism.  What  backing  have 
we  in  our  Scriptures  for  a  hopeful,  optimistic  view  of  life? 

Daily  Readings 

First  Day:  The  book  of  Ecclesiastes  has,  in  a  number  of 
its  features,  the  ring  of  Buddhism.  A  surfeit  of  pleasures 
has  resulted  in  disgust.  Life  seems  meaningless  and  full  of 
vanity.  This  is  so  much  like  the  attitude  of  the  typical  Bud- 
dhist Sntta  (a  collection  of  wise  sayings)  that  it  may  be  well 
for  us  to  start  just  there. 

Vanity  of  vanities,  saith  the  Preacher;  vanity  of 
vanities,  all  is  vanity.  What  profit  hath  man  of  all 
his  labor  wherein  he  laboreth  under  the  sun?  .  .  . 
All  things  are  full  of  weariness;  man  cannot  utter  it: 
the  eye  is  not  satisfied  with  seeing,  nor  the  ear  filled 
with  hearing. — Eccl.  1:2,  3,  8. 

A  "world  weariness"  had  seized  this  man  and  nothing 
seemed  bright  or  cheerful.  Not  even  is  there  any  hope  in 
the  future.  Life  is  simply  not  worth  living.  But  for  us  there 
is  something  else,  and  that  is  to  ask  how  a  man  could  manage 
to  get  into  such  a  fix. 

Second  Day  :  We  must  try  to  find  out  the  cause  of  such 
deep-dyed  pessimism.    We  have  not  far  to  go.    In  the  chapter 

43 


lIV-31  THE  I. \  IT  US  01-  MAXKIXD 

immediately  following  ample  cause  is  given,  enough  to  drive 
the  stoutest  heart  into  a  cynical,  blase  attitude  toward  every- 
thing. 

1  was  great,  and  increased  more  than  all  that  were 
before  me  in  Jerusalem:  also  my  wisdom  remained 
with  me.  And  whatsoever  mine  eyes  desired  I  kept 
not  from  them ;  I  withheld  not  my  heart  from  any 
joy;  for  my  heart  rejoiced  because  of  all  my  labor; 
and  this  was  my  portion  from  all  my  labor.  Then  I 
looked  on  all  the  works  that  my  hands  had  wrought, 
and  on  the  labor  that  I  had  labored  to  do ;  and,  be- 
hold, all  was  vanity  and  a  striving  after  wind,  and 
there  was  no  profit  under  the  sun. — Eccl.  2:9-11. 

No  wonder  he  was  glutted  with  pleasure.  "And  whatso- 
ever mine  eyes  desired  I  kept  not  from  them;  I  withheld  not 
my  heart  from  any  joy"  (v.  10).  We  need  go  no  further; 
here  is  all  the  explanation  we  need.  Run  over  in  your  mind 
the  names  of  any  who  are  more  or  less  like  this  man.  How 
can  you  account  for  it?  With  what  kind  of  a  life  do  cynicism 
and  pessimism  go?     Has  selfishness  any  connection  with  it? 

Third  Day:  But  what  shall  we  say  of  life?  How  can  we 
be  true  to  all  the  facts?  What  must  our  attitude  be  in  view 
of  all  the  ugly  and  evil  things,  as  well  as  of  the  fine,  encour- 
aging things  around  us  everywhere?  The  first  chapter  of 
Genesis  may  give  us  a  lift.  Seven  times  it  is  said  that  what 
God  created  was  good.  It  is  a  universe  with  goodness  at 
the  heart  of  it. 

And  God  saw  everything  that  he  had  made,  and, 
behold,  it  was  very  good. — Gen.   1:31. 

When  all  was  complete  and  God  had  looked  at  it,  "behold, 
it  was  very  good."  In  this  word-picture  of  a  great  poet,  life 
and  all  the  activities  involved  in  living  are  altogether  worth 
while.     Is  there  any  reason  today  to  change  that  verdict? 

Fourth  Day  :  How  are  we  to  preserve  an  attitude  of  hope- 
fulness and  good  cheer?     Following  the  path  of  natural  in- 

44 


VANITY  OF  VANITIES  [IV-5] 

clination  without  restraint  will  bring  anyone  out  just  where 
the  "Preacher"  in  Ecclesiastes  found  himself.  Paul  knew 
that  and  paints  a  picture  of  the  contest  of  the  two  natures, 
within  man  most  vividly. 

I  find  then  the  law,  that,  to  me  who  would  do  good, 
evil  is  present.  For  I  delight  in  the  law  of  God  after 
the  inward  man :  but  I  see  a  different  law  in  my  mem- 
bers, warring  against  the  law  of  my  mind,  and  bring- 
ing me  into  captivity  under  the  law  of  sin  which  is 
in  my  members.  Wretched  man  that  I  am !  who  shall 
deliver  me  out  of  the  body  of  this  death? — Rom. 
7:21-24. 

There  is  no  other  way  out  of  it,  we  must  take  sides  in  this 
conflict.  If  there  were  no  hope  of  victory,  there  would  be 
good  grounds  for  discouragement. 

Paul  found,  however,  that  he  was  not  to  remain  a  slave. 
He  knew  what  victory  meant  and  lived  with  the  assurance 
that  all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them  that  love  God. 
(Rom.  8:  28).  Recall  his  classic  statement  of  this  great  optim- 
istic truth. 

For  they  that  are  after  the  flesh  mind  the  things  of 
the  flesh ;  but  they  that  are  after  the  Spirit  the  things 
.of  the  Spirit.  For  the  mind  of  the  flesh  is  death ;  but 
the  mind  of  the  Spirit  is  life  and  peace.  .  .  .  But 
if  the  Spirit  of  him  that  raised  up  Jesus  from  the 
dead  dwelleth  in  you,  he  that  raised  up  Christ  Jesus 
from  the  dead  shall  give  life  also  to  your  mortal 
bodies  through  his  Spirit  that  dwelleth  in  you. — 
Rom.  8:5,  6,  II. 

Fifth  Day  :  The  human  body,  which  is  to  the  Buddhist 
an  object  of  loathing,  is  honored  greatly  in  Christianity. 
A  sane  view  is  taken  of  all  bodily  functions.  In  one  discus- 
sion of  the  diversity  of  spiritual  gifts,  Paul  uses  the  human 
body  as  an  illustration  of  his  meaning.  He  thus  indirectly 
testifies  to  the  honor  to  be  given  the  body  by  followers  o£ 
Jesus  Christ. 

45 


[IV-6]  THE  I-AITUS  OF  MANKIND 

But  now  hath  God  set  the  members  each  one  of 
them  in  the  body,  even  as  it  pleased  him.  And  if  they 
were  all  one  member,  where  were  the  body  ?  But 
now  they  are  many  members,  but  one  body.  And  the 
eye  cannot  say  to  the  hand,  1  have  no  need  of  thee: 
or  again  the  head  to  the  feet,  I  have  no  need  of  you. 
.  .  .  And  whether  one  member  sufFereth,  all  the 
members  suffer  with  it;  or  one  member  is  honored, 
all  the  members  rejoice  with  it. — I  Cor.  12:  18-21,  26. 

The  highest  honor  of  all  is  that  our  bodies  are  looked  upon 
as  temples,  that  is,  sacred  and  inviolable.  After  speaking  of 
the  base  uses  of  the  body  which  are  to  be  shunned,  Paul 
makes  this  statement : 

Or  know  ye  not  that  your  body  is  a  temple  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  which  is  in  you,  which  ye  have  from 
God?  and  ye  are  not  your  own;  for  ye  were  bought 
with  a  price:  glorify  God  therefore  in  your  body. — 
I  Cor.  6:  19,  20. 

Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  a  temple  of  God,  and  that 
the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you?  If  any  man  de- 
stroy eth  the  temple  of  God,  him  shall  God  destroy; 
for  the  temple  of  God  is  holy,  and  such  are  ye. — 
I   Cor.  3  :  16,    17. 

Sixth  Day:  Family  life,  the  relationship  between  husband 
and  wife,  which  a  Buddhist  must  repudiate  to  make  any  per- 
ceptible progress  in  religion,  is  most  sacred  and  holy  in  Chris- 
tianity. In  the  epistle  to  the  Ephesians  Paul  uses  this  rela- 
tion as  analogous  to  that  existing  between  Christ  and  his 
Church.    Could  any  higher  honor  be  imagined? 

Husbands,  love  your  wives,  even  as  Christ  also 
loved  the  church,  and  gave  himself  up  for  it;  that  he 
might  sanctify  it,  having  cleansed  it  by  the  washing 
of  water  with  the  word,  that  he  might  present  the 
church  to  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot 
or  wrinkle  or  any  such  thing;  but  that  it  should  be 
holy  and  without  blemish. — Eph.  5  :  25-27. 

46 


VANITY  OF  VANITIES  [IV-7] 

Christianity  has  emancipated  woman  by  placing  her  on 
an  equality  with  her  husband  in  the  life  of  the  family.  This 
one  result,  produced  wherever  Jesus  Christ  is  honored,  has 
been  the  most  wholesome  single  social  product  of  Christian- 
ity. It  has  made  possible  the  building  up  of  a  unique  insti- 
tution, the  home,  which  is  known  only  where  the  influence  of 
our  religion  has  reached. 

Seventh  Day  :  Life  is  very  different  because  Jesus  Christ 
lived.  He  became  one  like  us.  His  daily  life  was  in  no 
sense  ascetic.  He  lived  a  normal  life  among  men,  and  sym- 
pathized with  them  in  all  their  joys  and  sorrows.  He  worked 
hard  in  the  carpenter  shop  as  a  young  man.  His  life  of  public 
service  was  most  strenuous,  but  in  it  all  He  shows  a  zest  for 
living.  He  loved  childhood  and  its  innocence.  He  was  never 
too  busy  to  give  some  attention  to  children. 

And  they  were  bringing  unto  him  little  children, 
that  he  should  touch  them :  and  the  disciples  rebuked 
them.  But  when  Jesus  saw  it,  he  was  moved  with  in- 
dignation, and  said  unto  them.  Suffer  the  little  chil- 
dren to  come  unto  me ;  forbid  them  not :  for  to  such 
belongeth  the  kingdom  of  God.  .  .  .  And  he  took 
them  in  his  arms,  and  blessed  them,  laying  his  hands 
upon  them. — Mark  10:  13,  14,  16. 

His  whole  healing  ministry  and  His  feeding  of  hungry 
people  are  windows  into  Jesus'  soul,  showing  the  sympathy 
He  had  with  men  and  women  and  their  joys  and  sorrows.  The 
picture  we  get  of  His  attendance  at  the  marriage  at  Cana  puts 
the  seal  of  His  approval  upon  the  merrymaking  of  a  wedding 
feast. 

We  sum  up  Jesus'  whole  attitude  by  those  words  of  His 
recorded  by  John,  *T  came  that  they  may  have  life,  and  may 
have  it  abundantly"  (John  10:  10). 

Study  for  the  Week 

I 

It  is  a  far  cry  from  Japan  to  India,  but  the  entire  distance 
47 


IIV-s]  THE  I-AITHS  OF  MAKKIXD 

between  these  lands  is  covered  by  the  rehgion  known  as  Budd- 
hism. Korea.  China,  Tibet,  Manchuria,  and  Mongolia  hear 
the  sound  of  the  yellow-robed  monks  as  they  beg  their  bread 
and  drone  out  their  prayers  at  the  stated  periods  each  day. 
To  the  south  of  the  great  barrier  of  mountain  and  jungle 
which  separates  these  northern  peoples  from  those  of 
Southern  Asia.  Buddhism  is  also  to  be  found.  The  form  is 
somewhat  different,  but  the  faith  of  the  great  Buddha  is  the 
established  religion.  Beginning  with  French  Indo-China, 
Siam  and  Burma  reach  entirely  across  the  most  eastern  of 
the  three  peninsulas  which  Asia  sends  out  into  the  southern 
ocean,  and  here  the  tinkling  of  the  temple  bells  is  always 
heard  and  the  graceful  pagodas  greet  the  eye  at  every  turn. 
One  other  land  must  be  mentioned  to  complete  the  circuit 
and  that  is  the  entrancing  island  of  Ceylon,  far  to  ihe  south, 
where  the  whole  history  of  the  people  is  little  more  than  the 
history  of  Buddhism  on  the  island,  and  where  today  the 
religion  is  to  be  found  in  as  pure  a  form  as  in  any  Buddhist 
land. 

But  what  about  India?  That  is  the  great  surprise.  The 
land  of  the  Buddha  himself,  where  he  lived  and  taught  and 
died,  the  sacred  land  to  which  pilgrimages  are  still  devoutly 
made,  has  no  followers  of  the  Buddha!  All  these  statements 
are  true ;  yet  Buddhism  as  a  religion  in  India  is  dead.  It  is 
gone,  gone  we  may  believe  never  to  return,  swallowed  by 
the  Hinduism  which  once  it  seemed  almost  on  the  point  of 
driving  out  of  the  country. 

II 

With  all  the  differences  and  contradictions  between  Budd- 
hist sects  and  Buddhism  in  different  countries,  the  beginning 
of  the  whole  movement  is  in  the  life  and  character  of  a  man 
who  lived  in  North  India  in  the  latter  part  of  the  sixth  and 
the  earlier  years  of  the  fifth  century  B.  C.  Gautama  Buddha 
was  the  son  of  a  petty  prince  of  an  Aryan  tribe,  dwelling 
under  the  shadows  of  the  great  Himalaya  range.  Very  little 
is  known  of  his  life  until  he  was  about  twenty-nine  years  old. 

48 


VANITY  OF  VANITIES  [IV-s] 

There  is  much  legendary  material,  but  few  facts  to  mark  the 
years  of  early  manhood.  He  grew  up  like  most  young  men 
similarly  situated,  is  reputed  to  have  been  brave  and  strong 
and  to  have  excelled  in  manly  sports.  He  was  married  and 
became  the  proud  father  of  a  son. 

One  tradition,  if  any  truth  can  be  placed  in  it  at  all,  shows 
him  to  have  been  of  a  thoughtful,  meditative  cast  of  mind, 
but  this  was  nothing  uncommon  in  the  India  of  that  day. 
He  is  said  to  have  seen  in  turn  an  old  decrepit  man,  a  man 
lying  by  the  roadside  ill  and  covered  with  loathsome  sores,  a 
corpse  already  some  time  dead  and  decayed,  and  last  of  all  a 
mendicant  monk.  All  these  intensified  his  growing  conviction 
that  human  life  was  full  of  woe,  that  no  good  thing  could  be 
counted  on  to  last,  and  that  the  best  thing  to  do  was  to 
desert  the  world  and  become  a  religious  wanderer.  At  any 
rate,  when  he  was  about  twenty-nine  years  of  age,  he  tore 
himself  loose  from  his  home  and  became  a  mendicant,  ex- 
changing his  princely  robes  for  the  rags  of  a  penniless  way- 
farer. The  birth  of  his  son  seemed  to  have  been  a  last  straw 
for  young  Gautama,  his  heart  being  so  strongly  drawn  out 
to  the  little  fellow  that  he  felt  he  must  make  the  "great  re- 
nunciation" now  or  never  be  able  to  make  it  at  all. 

In  all  this  Gautama  was  a  typical  Hindu.  There  would 
have  been  no  Buddhism  had  this  step  been  all.  Whenever 
a  man  in  India  felt  the  tug  of  the  unseen  in  his  soul,  the  only 
thing,  he  thought  of  doing  was  just  what  this  young  man 
did — leave  his  home,  renounce  all  relationships,  and  become 
a  wanderer  or  a  solitary  hermit.  For  five  or  six  years  he 
lived  this  life,  at  first  going  from  teacher  to  teacher,  recluses 
like  himself,  to  find  peace  and  satisfaction  for  his  soul.  None 
was  able  to  lead  him  out  into  freedom  and  enlightenment.  He 
then  gave  himself  to  a  most  extravagant  asceticism.  So  far 
did  he  carry  his  penances  that  he  became  the  center  of  a  little 
group  which  naturally  offered  him  the  palm  of  excellence. 
He  became  so  emaciated  that  nothing  seemed  left  but  skin 
and  bones.  He  all  but  robbed  himself  of  life  itself.  When  he 
fell  over  in  a  swoon,  his  band  of   faithful   followers  thought 

49 


ll\'-s]  THE  I'AITHS  or  M.IXKIXD 

him  dead  and  wondered  at  the  fortitude  which  they  could  not 
attain. 

When  finally  he  recovered  consciousness,  a  great  convic- 
tion was  born  in  his  mind,  that  no  satisfaction  could  be  had 
by  any  amount  of  self-mortification.  Had  he  not  tried  it, 
and  gone  to  the  farthest  bound  in  his  experiment?  And  was 
he  not  quite  as  far  from  the  goal  of  his  desires  as  he  was 
when  he  began?  He  had  left  his  home  because  his  heart 
craved  what  could  not  be  secured  there ;  he  now  renounced 
asceticism  as  being  quite  as  futile.  His  decision  so  disgusted 
his  erstwhile  admirers  that  they  turned  their  back  on  him 
with  scorn.  H^  had  surrendered  to  a  lower  ideal,  they 
thought.  They  little  knew  then  what  was  surging  through 
the  mind  of  their  hero  of  a  few  days  before. 

In  turning  away  from  asceticism,  Gautama  declared  that 
he  would  travel  the  "middle  path"  between  luxury  on  one 
side  and  asceticism  on  the  other.  Neither  of  these  had  given 
him  satisfaction,  so  he  would  eschew  both.  This  was  surely 
wholesome.  He  believed  that  a  man  ought  to  live  a  normal 
life,  keeping  his  body  in  good  trim,  and  living  as  long  as 
possible  a  healthy,  robust  life.  Had  he  only  carried  this 
theory  into  all  the  relationships  of  life,  incalculable  good 
would  have  come  to  the  millions  of  Asia.  But  he  stopped 
!>hort.  and  by  the  institution  of  an  order  of  monks  condemned 
multitudes  of  eager  religious  souls  to  a  life  of  mendicancy 
and  unproductivity,  and  by  insisting  on  celibacy  for  all  earn- 
est minded  seekers  after  religion  struck  a  severe  blow  at  the 
home  and  the  position  of  woman  in  it. 

Gautama  had  settled  conclusively  several  very  important 
things,  but  they  were  purely  negative.  His  empty  soul  was 
still  craving  an  answer  to  its  questioning,  and  he  must  persist 
until  he  find  it.  He  was  plunged  into  a  dreadful  mental  and 
moral  conflict,  which  is  described  most  vividly  and  realistic- 
ally in  Buddhist  literature.  He  was  torn  by  the  suggestion 
to  give  it  all  up  and  go  back  to  his  home  and  its  joys  and 
responsibilities.  Troops  of  demons  sought  to  seduce  him, 
but  he  remained  steadfast.     He  had  started  out  to  find  his 

50 


VANITY  OF  VANITIES  [IV-s] 

heart's  desire  and  he  would  allow  nothing  to  stand  in  his 
way. 

One  morning  he  sat  down  under  the  now  famous  and  sacred 
Bo  tree,  or  tree  of  wisdom,  to  eat  the  meal  which  had  been 
given  him  by  a  villager's  daughter.  Here  he  remained  all 
day;  here  he  had  the  last  battle  with  his  lower  nature;  and 
as  the  day  sank  to  rest  his  victory  was  won.  Doubts  which 
had  assailed  him  so  long  now  departed,  and  their  place  was 
taken  by  the  peace  for  which  he  had  thirsted  these  many 
years.  He  had  now  become  the  Buddha,  which  means  the 
"Enlightened."  He  had  grasped  the  meaning  of  life  and 
its  sorrow,  and  could  cure  it! 

Any  one  who  could  do  that  would  surely  have  a  gospel  to 
which  men  and  women  would  respond.  What  was  his  secret ; 
what  his  cure?  On  what  did  his  peace  rest?  The  Buddha's 
discovery  was  that  rest  and  peace  could  be  had  by  self- 
mastery,  by  the  suppression  of  our  desires.  This  is  to  be 
brought  about  by  self-discipline  and  self-control.  He  had 
already  proved  that  no  benefit  was  to  be  derived  from  pen- 
ances and  vigils,  and  he  had  turned  away  from  the  teachers 
of  his  time  with  a  feeling  of  their  utter  inadequacy.  And 
now,  with  sublime  self-confidence  and  assurance,  he  pro- 
pounds a  new  means  of  salvation.  It  is  to  be  attained  solely 
by  one's  own  efforts ;  it  is  literally  .ye //-conquest.  We  shall 
see  a  little  later  the  completeness  of  his  sweep,  how  thorough- 
going his  assertion  that  with  not  a  particle  of  help  from  the 
outside  each  man  for  himself  was  to  work  out  his  "own  sal- 
vation with  fear  and  trembling."  Would  that  he  might  have 
added  with  Paul,  "For  it  is  God  who  worketh  in  you  both  to 
will  and  to  work,  for  his  good  pleasure"  (Phil.  2:12,  13); 
but  of  course  that  would  not  be  Buddhism.  The  Buddha's 
word  was  "Each  man  is  his  own  helper ;  there  is  none  other 
to  help  him." 

There  was  another  side  to  his  victory  under  the  Bo  tree. 
When  the  new  truth  had  dawned  upon  him  the  temptation 
came  to  go  off  alone,  and  in  solitude  bask  in  the  sunlight  of 
his  new  attainment.     This  temptation  he  repudiated  and  went 

51 


[IV-s]  Til II  I-AITIIS  OF  MANKIND 

at  once  to  Benares  and  was  able  to  win  back  the  five  disciples 
who  had  abandoned  him  a  short  time  before.  He  declared 
his  purpose  to  "turn  the  wheel  of  the  excellent  law,"  that  is, 
"to  set  rolling  the  royal  chariot-wheel  of  a  universal  empire 
of  truth  and  righteousness." 

Gautama  the  Buddha  was  now  about  thirty-five  years  old. 
Beginning  at  once  his  travels,  he  spent  the  next  forty-five 
years  journeying  back  and  forth  in  Northern  India  proclaim- 
ing his  message  and  winning  converts  on  every  side.  During 
the  wet  season  he  and  his  disciples  would  remain  in  one  place, 
he  giving  instruction,  answering  questions,  and  expounding 
more  fully  his  theory  of  life.  As  soon  as  the  dry  season  came 
he  was  afoot  again  in  his  work  of  love  and  sympathy,  cease- 
lessly carrying  his  message  to  great  and  small,  and  exemplify- 
ing his  teaching  in  his  own  life  and  practice.  He  continued 
his  instruction  until  the  very  end.  reiterating  the  essential 
points  of  his  system  with  great  care  and  elaborateness. 
Then  passed  out  of  the  world  one  of  the  purest  and  noblest 
of  the  sons  of  men.  Few  can  compare  with  him,  only  one  or 
two  can  surpass  him.  All  honor  to  one  who  lived  so  purely 
and  bravely  and  left  so  fragrant  a  memory  for  all  future  gen- 
erations ! 

ni 

The  life  of  Gautama  Buddha  was  singularly  simple  and  his 
character  without  dissimulation  and  guile.  His  teaching,  how- 
ever, was  subtle  and  intricate.  Not  that  there  were  not  simple 
aphorisms  and  moral  rules  which  the  humblest  layman  could 
understand,  but  that  the  slightest  movement  toward  an  under- 
standing of  his  doctrine  involves  one  in  the  closest  philo- 
sophical and  psychological  thinking.  We  must  try  to  under- 
stand what  are  called  the  "Three  Fundamental  Signs."  The 
first  one  of  these  truths  or  "Signs"  may  be  stated  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  sacred  literature,  "All  the  constituents  of  life 
are  impermanent,"  which  means  that  everything  in  the  uni- 
verse is  changing.  There  is  nothing  stable;  all  is  in  flux.  This 
sounds    very    much    like    our    theory    of    evolution    or    "the 

52 


VANITY  OF  VANITIES  [IV-s] 

philosophy  of  change"  of  the  French  philosopher,  Henri 
Bergson,  and  it  is  like  it.  This  is  one  of  the  remarkable 
things  about  early  Buddhism,  that  it  seems  in  many  features 
so  closely  in  accord  with  modern  thought. 

Now,  the  Buddha  carried  this  theory  of  change  to  the 
farthest  bounds.  Nothing  was  to  be  excluded,  absolutely 
nothing.  He  did  not  go  to  the  length  of  saying  there  were 
no  gods,  but  what  if  there  were?  The  gods  are  bound  fast 
to  the  wheel  of  change  as  much  as  any  other  beings.  They  are 
gods  now,  but  they  might  become  less  than  a  human  being — 
a  crawling  snake  or  a  maggot — in  their  transmigrations.  So 
man  was  left  entirely  to  his  own  resources.  With  no  god 
above  there  could  be  no  prayer  and  worship,  and  this  is  the 
fact  in  this  strange  religion.  The  best  that  man  can  do  is  to 
study  himself  and,  learning  from  the  examples  of  others, 
start  out  on  the  path  of  attainment  as  best  he  may.  It  is  a 
cheerless,  hopeless  path,  we  say,  and  Buddhists  have  said  so 
too.  The  theories  of  the  Buddha  are  too  high  for  men  and 
women  out  in  the  world  amid  the  trials  and  difficulties  of  life. 

There  are  few  Buddhists  today  who  hold  to  what  the 
Buddha  taught.  The  reason  is  easy  to  find.  He  was  attempt- 
ing to  do  the  impossible.  That  fundamental  craving  of  all 
men  for  a  god  to  love  and  worship,  for  one  whom  they  can 
trust,  to  whom  they  can  pray,  and  who  loves  them,  cannot 
be  eradicated.  Even  in  Burma  and  Ceylon,  where  the  doc- 
trine has  remained  purer  than  in  the  north,  the  cult  of  the 
Buddha  and  his  relics  is  to  be  found  in  full  bloom  every- 
where. The  Buddha  who  repudiated  all  gods  and  any  sense 
of  dependence  on  them  is  worshiped  and  addressed  in  prayer 
himself!  Could  there  be  any  stronger  testimony  to  the  impos- 
sibility of  imposing  a  system  which  runs  counter  to  this  crav- 
ing of  the  human  heart  after  God? 

IV 

The  second  of  the  "Signs"  is  stated  thus,  "All  the  con- 
stituents of  life  are   full  of  misery."     This   sounds  like  pes- 

53 


[IV-s]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MAXKIXD 

simism  run  mad.  To  live  is  to  be  unhappy.  This  is  literally 
what  the  Buddha  meant.  His  study  of  human  nature  led 
the  Buddha  to  see  that  life  is  dominated  by  desire.  Men 
want  things  ;  it  is  this  that  makes  life  go.  But  this  same  desire 
or  thirst  is  the  very  thing  which  makes  men  miserable.  Eaten 
up  by  this  craving  for  more,  whatever  it  may  be — pleasure, 
gain,  honor,  length  of  days — man  is  made  the  more  discon- 
tented by  the  very  desire  he  feeds  upon.  Is  not  this  just  as 
true  today  and  among  ourselves  as  in  India  so  long  ago?  No 
wonder  the  Buddha  is  looked  upon  as  one  of  the  greatest 
psychologists  the  world  has  ever  known. 

So  far  was  this  attitude  carried  that  nothing  in  life  seemed 
worth  while ;  it  was  all  a  vain  show.  The  monks  were  taught 
to  look  with  loathing  on  the  human  body^  to  consider  one 
after  another  all  the  nauseating  things  which  could  be 
enumerated  about  it,  the  idea  being  to  inculcate  disgust  and 
a  real  desire  to  get  away  from  it  and  what  it  stood  for.  Here 
is  a  quotation  taken  from  one  of  the  sacred  books — there  are 
many  others. 

"This  body  is  a  nest  of  loathly  sores; 

A  dank  and  slippery  skin  doth  wrap  it  round ; 
And   from  a  thousand  thousand  oozing  pores 

It  sendeth  out  its  stenches,  like  an  open  wound." 

Buddhism  has  always  had  a  low  idea  of  woman.  She  is  a 
kind  of  stumbling  block  to  man.  He  can  never  proceed  far 
in  the  way  of  attainment  in  her  company.  In  his  depreciation 
of  life  Buddha  put  a  ban  on  marriage  and  held  that  it  was 
entirely  foreign  to  spiritual  attainment.  One  of  the  old  writ- 
ings contains  this  stanza: 

"With  handmaidens  and  jewels  rare, 
Of  womankind  surpassing  fair, 
Our  little  boy  upon  her  arm, 
My  wife  came,  seeking  me. 

54 


VANITY  OF  VANITIES  [IV-s] 

But  I,  of  evil  lures  aware, 
Beheld  in  her  a  subtle  snare, 

Designed  to  do  me  deadly  harm. 

Disguised  by  Mara's  treachery ! 
Such  bonds  have  lost  their  hold  on  me, 
They  chain  him  not  whose  mind  is  free." 

Clinging  to  life  is  what  brings  misery.  Then  let  go,  cease 
desiring,  and  all  will  be  well.  This  is  to  be  accomplished  by 
following  what  was  called  the  Noble  Eightfold  Path — right 
belief,  right  aspiration,  right  speech,  right  action,  right  live- 
lihood, right  effort,  right  mindfulness,  right  contemplation. 
Those  who  had  passed  through  all  these  stages  were  called 
Arhats. 

This  "path"  was  far  bettei;  than  any  men  knew  of  in  India 
at  that  time.  There  was  attached  to  the  system  an  abound- 
ing love  of  men.  The  Buddha  exemplified  it,  and  his  early 
followers  were,  ardent  missionaries.  They  felt  they  had  made 
a  discovery  and  that  they  owed  it  to  men  far  and  near  to 
proclaim  it.  And  again,  their  great  Teacher  had  been  very 
insistent  on  the  acceptance  of  a  rigorous  moral  code.  All 
who  called  themselves  Buddhists  were  to  obey  five  precepts — 
not  to  destroy  life,  not  to  steal,  not  to  tell  lies,  not  to  drink 
intoxicating  liquors,  and  not  to  be  unchaste.  These  sound 
something  like  our  Ten  Commandments.  They  were  most 
wholesome  and  have  been  like  a  sheet-anchor  to  the  Buddhist 
community. 

So  then,  while  the  attitude  toward  life  was  primarily 
pessimistic,  there  was  a  real  optimism  in  early  Buddhism. 
These  early  monks  felt  they  had  really  learned  the  secret  of 
doing  away  with  misery.  There  is  a  pathos  in  the  songs 
composed  describing  the  joy  which  came  into  the  lives  of 
these  men  and  women  released  from  the  chains  of  discontent 
and  anxiety.  Yes,  women  too,  for  after  much  persuasion,  the 
Buddha  at  last  and  very  reluctantly  founded  an  order  of 
women  mendicants — nuns  we  would  call  them.  The  pathos 
lies  in  the  fact  that  to  us  they  seemed  to  have  so  little.     Even 

55 


[IV-s]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MANKIND 

this  little  soon  ran  out.  Not  for  centuries  have  men  been 
able  to  claim  that  they  have  reached  the  end  desired.  There 
are  no  true  Arhats  today,  nor  in  the  mefnory  of  living  men. 
The  enthusiasm  was  comparatively  short-lived  and  has  long 
since  disappeared. 

V 

And  now  the  third  of  the  "Signs,"  "All  the  constituents 
of  being  are  without  a  soul."  In  some  ways  this  is  the  most 
startling  declaration  of  early  Buddhism.  There  is  no  self  or 
soul  to  anything.  The  Buddha  himself  laid  great  stress  on 
this  point ;  it  was  central  for  him.  Try  to  think  how  the 
Buddha  could  hold  fast  a  belief  in  the  transmigration  of 
souls  when  there  was  no  soul  to  transmigrate.  What  he 
claimed  was  that  each  new  birtb,  the  rise  of  a  new  individ- 
ual, was  literally  a  new  creation,  if  we  may  use  that  term, 
with  this  added  factor,  that  this  new  individual  inherited  the 
Karma  of  that  individual  which  had  preceded  him  in  the 
series  in  which  he  formed  one  link.  He  was  just  what  he 
was  because  of  what  all  the  others  who  had  preceded  him 
were,  and  the  one  who  came  after  him  would  be  what  he  had 
added  to  the  net  result  of  the  lives  of  all  who  had  gone  be- 
fore. How  long  was  this  process  to  go  on?  Until  some  one 
should  arise,  join  the  Buddhist  order,  travel  the  noble  Eight- 
fold Path,  become  an  Arhat,  and  thus  crush  all  desire  out  of 
his  life.  Then  his  Karma  would  be  used  up  and  no  more 
individuals  would  be  born — the  series  would  come  to  an  end. 

According  to  this  scheme  there  could  be  no  immortality. 
Each  individual  simply  ceased  to  be  when  his  life  ended.  He 
did  not  have  a  self  at  all,  so  when  the  bodily  and  mental 
elements  which  made  up  his  life  dissolved  he  ceased  to  be, 
"and  that  was  the  end  of  it."  Should  any  individual  be. 
fortunate  enough  to  become  an  Arhat  he  would  thereby  and 
at  once  enter  Nirvana,  even  while  still  alive.  Nirvana  is  a 
condition  of  perfect  peace  and  calm,  unruffled  by  any  cling- 
ing after  life  and  any  of  its  relationships.  The  Arhat  has 
risen  sublimely  above  all  these  things  and  has  perfect  equa- 

56 


VANITY  OF  VANITIES  [IV-s] 

nimity  and  poise.  His  only  desire  is  for  what  he  now  enjoys 
and  to  see  others  enter  into  his  experience,  but  all  craving 
and  discontent  are  gone  and  gone  forever.  When  at  last  he 
dies  he  enters  complete  Nirvana,  which  is,  so  far  as  we  can 
make  out,  little  better  than  annihilation  or  extinction.  Since 
he  never  was  a  self  or  a  soul,  there  can  be  nothing  to  be 
alive  when  body  and  mind  dissolve  into  nothingness. 

Suggestions  for  Thought  and  Discussion 

I.     Is  Life  Worth  Living F 

What  makes  life  worth  living?  What  is  the  cause  when 
a  man  becomes  disgusted  with  life  and  sees  no  good  in  it? 
How  can  one  be  an  optimist  when  he  is  crippled  or  has 
lost  his  fortune,  for  neither  of  which  he  is  responsible? 
What  effect  does  unselfish  service  have  on  one's  outlook  on 
life? 

n.     The  Life  of  the  Buddha 

Try  to  explain  what  led  the  Buddha  to  leave  home  and 
renounce  his  heritage.  In  what  did  his  enlightenment  con- 
sist? What  effect  would  a  man  preaching  such  a  gospel 
have  upon  an  audience  today?  Why  would  the  effect  be  so 
different? 

HI.     His  Teaching 

What  is  the  most  striking  difference  between  the  Buddhist 
theories  and  our  own?  What  effect  on  life  is  most  signifi- 
cant? Compare  the  moral  teaching  of  the  Buddha  with 
the  Ten  Commandments  ;  with  the  teaching  of  Jesus.  What 
do  you  consider  the  chief  defect  in  the  system  of  the 
Buddha? 

(For  this  and  the  next  chapter  a  very  useful  volume  is 
that  by  K.  J.  Saunders  entitled  'The  Story  of  Buddhism.") 


57 


CHAPTER  V 

THE  WHEEL  OF  THE  EXCELLENT  LAW 

The  Buddha  declared  his  purpose  "to  set  rolling  the  royal 
chariot-wheel  of  a  universal  empire  of  truth  and  righteous- 
ness." This  week  we  are  to  travel  from  country  to  country 
in  Asia  to  investigate  what  the  "Excellent  Law"  has  done  in 
these  lands  where  the  poorly  clad,  shaven-headed  monks 
carried  the  message  of  their  master.  We  shall  doubtless  be 
amazed  to  find  how  changed  the  religion  has  become  in  its 
travels.  The  Buddha  essayed  to  found  a  religion  with  no 
gods  and  no  worship.  Now  "gods  many  and  lords  many" 
are  worshiped  with  elaborate  ceremonial  in  the  lands  where 
Buddhism  has  been  carried.  This  has  led  to  the  choice  of 
worship  as  the  subject  of  our  Bible  readings  at  the  beginning 
of  this  study. 

Daily  Readings 

First  Day  :  The  Bible  takes  worship  for  granted.  The 
thought  never  seems  to  have  occurred  to  any  one  of  the 
writers  in  either  the  Old  or  New  Testament  that  men  should 
not  pray  and  offer  sacrifices  to  God. 

And  Abel  was  a  keeper  of  sheep,  but  Cain  was  a 
tiller  of  the  ground.  And  in  process  of  time  it  came 
to  pass,  that  Cain  brought  of  the  fruit  of  the  ground 
an  offering  unto  Jehovah.  And  Abel,  he  also  brought 
of  the  firstlings  of  his  flock  and  of  the  fat  thereof. — 
Gen.  4 :  2-4. 

The    author    assumes    the    existence    of    altars,    and    of    the 
custom  of  sacrifice,  without  giving  any  account  of  their  origin. 
At  the  close  of  the  story  of  Noah  and  the  Ark  we  find  these 
interesting   verses: 

58 


THE  EXCELLENT  LAW  [V-2I 

And  Noah  builded  an  altar  unto  Jehovah,  and  took 
of  every  clean  beast,  and  of  every  clean  bird,  and 
offered  burnt-offerings  on  the  altar.  And  Jehovah 
smelled  the  sweet  savor ;  and  Jehovah  said  in  his 
heart,  I  will  not  again  curse  the  ground  any  more  for 
man's  sake. — Gen.  8:  20,  21. 

How  simple  and  naive  the  conception  that  God  should  be 
pleased  with  the  sweet  smell  of  the  burnt  offerings!  The 
point  to  be  made  is  that  in  the  days  of  his  simplicity  man 
turned  to  God  in  worship.  This  is  the  testimony  not  only  of 
the  Bible  but  of  all  the  archeological  findings  and  the  sacred 
literatures  of  the  world.  Do  you  think  we  shall  ever  be  able 
to  eradicate  a  tendency  so  deeply  implanted  in  human  nature? 

Second  Day  :  Abraham  was  a  very  religious  man.  He  has 
been  called  the  Friend  of  God  and  the  Father  of  the  Faith- 
ful. As  soon  as  he  had  reached  the  land  of  promise  he  per- 
formed a  religious  act. 

And  he  removed  from  thence  unto  the  mountain 
on  the  east  of  Beth-el,  and  pitched  his  tent,  having 
Beth-el  on  the  west,  and  Ai  on  the  east:  and  there  he 
builded  an  altar  unto  Jehovah,  and  called  upon  the 
name  of  Jehovah. — Gen.  12 :  8. 

The  great  test  of  Abraham's  faith  came  late  in  life  when 
he  was  commanded  to  offer  his  son  Isaac  on  an  altar. 

And  it  came  to  pass  after  these  things,  that  God 
did  prove  Abraham,  and  said  unto  him,  Abraham; 
and  he  said,  Here  am  I.  And  he  said.  Take  now  thy 
son,  thine  only  son,  whom  thou  lovest,  even  Isaac, 
and  get  thee  into  the  land  of  Moriah ;  and  offer  him 
there  for  a  burnt-offering  upon  one  of  the  mountains 
which  I  will  tell  thee  of.— Gen.  22:  i,  2. 

Back  of  this  lesson  of  obedience  and  faith  is  the  historical 
fact  that  human  sacrifice  was  known  in  Abraham's  day  and 
that  with  the  testing  of  his   faith  came  the  setting  aside  of 

59 


(V-3l  Tim  I-AITIIS  or  MAXKIXD 

this  horrid  custom.     We  find  then  how  God  leads  His  people 
out   of   crude  conceptions  of    Himself   and   of   what   pleases 

Him. 

Third  D.\y: 

Thou  shalt  not  make  unto  thee  a  graven  image,  nor 
any  likeness  of  any  thing  that  is  in  heaven  above,  or 
that  is  in  the  earth  beneath,  or  that  is  in  the  water 
under  the  earth:  thou  shalt  not  bow  down  thyself 
unto  them,  nor  serve  them;  for  I  Jehovah  thy  God 
am  a  jealous  God,  visiting  the  iniquity  of  the  fathers 
upon  the  children,  upon  the  third  and  upon  the  fourth 
generation  of  them  that  hate  me,  and  showing  loving- 
kindness  unto  thousands  of  them  that  love  me  and 
keep  my  commandments. — Exodus  20:  4-6. 

In  the  long  second  commandment,  which  was  such  a  terror 
for  us  to  learn  exactly  before  we  reached  our  teens,  wor- 
ship again  is  taken  for  granted,  only  the  Hebrews  were  told 
not  to  worship  images.  Their  God  was  a  jealous  God  who 
alone  must  be  worshiped.  He  desired  the  entire  devotion 
of  His  people;  He  expected  them  to  worship  Him  and  not  be 
led  into  the  devious  paths  of  idolatry. 

Does  it  strike  you  as  strange  that  the  same  Ten  Com- 
mandments which  warn  against  sins  of  rpbbery,  adultery, 
and  murder  should  include  a  command  relative  to  worship? 
Is  there  any  connection  between  high  moral  living  and  wor- 
ship? Is  it  safe,  to  say  the  least,  for  a  man  to  give  up  prayer 
and  the  service  of  God's  house? 

Fourth  Day  :  The  Psalms  are  full  of  the  spirit  of  praise 
and  worship.  Try  to  enter  into  the  spirit  of  these  men  whose 
words  we  read  today. 

How  amiable  are  thy  tabernacles, 

O  Jehovah  of  hosts ! 

My  soul  longeth,  yea,  even  fainteth  for  the  courts  of 

Jehovah  ; 
My  heart  and  my  flesh  cry  out  unto  the  living  God. 

—Psalm  84:  I,  2. 

60 


THE  EXCELLENT  LAW  [V-5] 

These  were  the  days  when  the  Temple  was  in  its  glory. 
The  external  beauty  of  the  building  may  be  more  in  evidence 
than  is  possible  with  us,  but  even  a  simple,  rustic  church  may 
have  for  us  memories  which  make  it  a  sacred  place. 

Fifth  Day  :  The  danger  of  what  is  merely  external  in 
worship  was  as  evident  in  the  Old  Testament  days  as  now. 

I  hate,  I  despise  your  feasts,  and  I  will  take  no 
delight  in  your  solemn  assemblies.  Yea,  though  ye 
offer  me  your  burnt-offerings  and  meal-offerings,  I 
will  not  accept  them ;  neither  will  I  regard  the  peace- 
offerings  of  your  fat  beasts.  Take  thou  away  from 
me  the  noise  of  thy  songs ;  for  I  will  not  hear  the 
melody  of  thy  viols.  But  let  justice  roll  down  as 
waters,  and  righteousness  as  a  mighty  stream. — Amos 
5:21-24. 

What  a  condemnation  heaped  upon  men  who  had  trodden 
on  the  rights  of  the  poor  and  had  forgotten  the  great  pre- 
cepts of  the  moral  law,  yet  were  impudently  performing  all 
the  sacred  offices  of  religious  worship !  Strenuous  moral 
endeavor  is  a  necessary  foundation  of  sincere  worship. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  wonderful  Psalm  of  penitence  come 
these  words  of  a  truly  worshipful  heart : 

O  Lord,  open  thou  my  lips;  ♦ 

And  my  mouth  shall  show  forth  thy  praise. 

For  thou  delightest  not  in  sacrifice ;  else  would  I  give 

it: 
Thou  hast  no  pleasure  in  burnt-offering. 
The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit : 
A  broken  and  a  contrite  heart,  O  God,  thou  wilt  not 

despise. — Psalm  51 :  15-17. 

The  inwardness  of  true  worship  is  here  made  very  clear. 
Our  worship  must  spring  from  the  heart,  which  realizes 
what  it  means  to  be  in  the  presence  of  the  loving  God  who  is 
at  the  same  time  pure  and  holy. 

61 


I\'-61  THE  FAITHS  OP  MANKIND 

Sixth  Day:  Jesus  inherited  the  spirit  of  devotion  and  wor- 
ship from  the  Old  Testament  and  filled  it  with  a  new  mean- 
ing. Read  His  answer  when  the  temptation  came  to  win  the 
kingdoms  of  the  world  by  prostrating  Himself  and  worship- 
ing the  Tempter. 

Then  saith  Jesus  unto  him.  Get  thee  hence.  Satan: 
for  it  is  written.  Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy 
God.  and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve.— Matt.  4:10. 

Luke  gives  a  glimpse  of  Jesus'  habits  as  a  young  man. 

And  he  came  to  Nazareth,  where  he  had  been 
brought  up:  and  he  entered,  as  his  custom  was.  into 
the  synagogue  on  the  sabbath  day.— Luke  4 :  16. 

"As  his  custom  was,"  He  entered  into  the  synagogue  on 
the  Sabbath  day.  Why  do  you  suppose  He  made  this  His 
custom?  Why  wouldn't  it  have  been  just  as  helpful  to  stay 
away  from  public  worship  and  meditate  and  pray  alone? 

Seventh  Day:  Jesus  inculcated  worship  both  by  precept 
and  example.  He  was  also  very  particular  about  the  motives 
and  the  spirit  of  worship. 

Two  men  went  up  into  the  temple  to  pray;  the  one 
a  Pharisee,  and  the  other  a  publican.  The  Pharisee 
stood  and  prayed  thus  with  himself,  God,  I  thank 
thee,  that  I  am  not  as  the  rest  of  men,  extortioners, 
unjust,  adulterers,  or  even  as  this  publican.  I  fast 
twice  in  the  week;  I  give  tithes  of  all  that  I  get.  But 
the  publican,  standing  afar  oflF,  would  not  lift  so  much 
as  his  eyes  unto  heaven,  but  smote  his  breast,  saying, 
God,  be  thou  merciful  to  me  a  sinner.  I  say  unto 
you,  This  man  went  down  to  his  house  justified 
rather  than  the  other:  for  every  one  that  exalteth 
himself  shall  be  humbled;  but  he  that  humbleth  him- 
self shall  be  exalted.— Luke  18:  10-14. 

Of  what  use  are  prayer  and  fasting  and  tithing  in  a  self- 
62 


THE  EXCELLENT  LAW  [V-s] 

righteous  man  like  that  Pharisee?     How  could  a  man  keep 
from  prayer  who  is  in  the  condition  of  the  publican? 

Jesus  has  another  remarkable  word  about  the  nature  of 
true  worship : 

God  is  a  Spirit:  and  they  that  worship  him  must 
worship  in  spirit  and  truth. — John  4 :  24. 

True  worship  is  "in  spirit  and  truth."  "In  spirit"  means 
that  it  is  spiritual  worship,  the  communion  of  one  spiritual 
being  with  another,  the  Spirit  of  God  in  touch  with  the  spirit 
of  man.  Moffatt  translates  the  other  Greek  word  not  as 
"truth"  but  as  "reality."  The  true  worship  is  sincere,  the 
genuine  expression  of  our  real  selves  to  God.  Could  any 
definition  of  worship  be  more  searching  than  that  contained 
in  these  words  of  Jesus? 

Study  for  the  Week 

I 

Japan,  Korea,  China,  Mongolia,  Tibet,  Siam,  Burma,  and 
Ceylon — all  these  are  Buddhist  to  a  greater  or  less  extent, 
but  what  a  strange  Buddhism  as  contrasted  with  that  of  the 
great  Gautama !  He  could  not  believe  his  eyes  were  he  to 
awake  and  see  what  is  being  said  and  done  in  his  name. 
So  great  is  the  divergence  from  the  original  teaching  and  so 
varied  are  the  views  and  practices  of  Buddhism  in  different 
lands  at  the  present  time  that  the  question  may  be  seriously 
asked,  what  is  Buddhism?  What  right  have  all  these  differ- 
ing and  even  antagonistic  beliefs  to  the  common  name  of  the 
founder? 

All  Buddhists  have  certain  things  in  common.  They  all 
realize  and  are  proud  of  the  fact  that  the  movement  to  which 
they  belong  had  its  earthly  origin  in  the  life  and  work  of 
Gautama  Buddha.  They  are  inspired  by  the  unsullied  record 
of  a  pure,  unselfish  life  devoted  to  the  good  of  others.  There 
is  an  intellectual  and  spiritual  atmosphere  typical  of  all  lands 
which    have    been    influenced    by    Buddhism.      Asia    is    still 

63 


[V-s]  THE  I'AITUS  OP  MANKIND 

haunted  by  the  sense  of  the  impermanence  of  all  things  which 
the  Buddha  taught.  Man's  sorrow  in  being  bound  fast  to 
the  ceaseless  wheel  of  transmigration  in  accordance  with  the 
inexorable  law  of  Karma  is  as  much  in  evidence  today  as 
five  hundred  years  before  our  era.  A  kind  of  world-weari- 
ness, settling  down  into  a  wistful  pessimism,  is  an  inescapable 
mark  of  Buddhism's  presence.  These  are  moods  of  the  soul  as 
much  as  definite  doctrines,  but  they  are  quite  as  useful  to  us  in 
putting  our  finger  on  what  a  religion  really  is  as  are  written 
creeds  and  rituals.  They  have  indelibly  marked  all  these 
strangely  variant  communities  as  being  in  the  true  succession 
of  the  great  founder,  Gautama  Buddha. 

II 

Almost  immediately  after  his  death  legends  began  to  ac- 
cumulate about  the  birth  and  personal  history  of  the  Buddha. 
He  came  to  be  regarded  as  "omniscient  and  absolutely  sin- 
less," claims  which  he  never  made  for  himself.  Then  came 
the  belief  that  he  was  born  of  a  virgin  and  this  was  ex- 
panded to  include  her  spotlessness,  too.  "At  the  conception 
of  the  Buddha,  thirty-two  signs  take  place ;  the  lo.ooo  worlds 
are  filled  with  light,  the  blind  receive  their  sight,  the  deaf 
hear,  the  dumb  speak,  the  crooked  become  straight,  the  lame 
walk,  the  imprisoned  are  set  free,  and  so  on,  all  nature 
blooming,  and  all  beings  in  earth  and  heaven  being  filled  with 
joy;  while  by  a  bold  figure  of  speech  even  the  fires  of  hell 
are  extinguished,  and  the  tortures  of  the  damned  are  miti- 
gated.'^ From  the  beginning  to  the  end  of  the  life  of  this 
prodigy  such  wonders  and  many  more  like  them  accompany 
his  steps. 

Is  there  any  wonder,  then,  that  the  Buddha  should  be 
worshiped?  But  could  anything  stranger  than  this  com- 
plete turning  of  the  tables  be  imagined?  He  who  deprecated 
all  belief  in  the  gods  and  scouted  any  suggestion  of  worship, 
himself  the  object  of  worship!  What  the  Buddha  had  at- 
tempted was  an  impossibility.  "  'Never  mind  about  the  gods !' 
said  Gautama.     'We  cannot  help  minding,'  replied  the  heart 

64 


THE  EXCELLENT  LAW  [V-s] 

of  India."  Only  a  very  limited  circle  during  his  own  day 
and  the  years  immediately  following  really  held  the  doctrine 
taught  by  the  Buddha. 

Gautama  was  soon  said  to  be  only  one  of  a  long  series  of 
Buddhas,  each  new  Buddha  having  been  needed  to  restore 
the  purity  of  a  faith  well  nigh  lost.  Twenty-four  of  these 
were  named  who  had  preceded  Gautama,  and  after  five 
thousand  more  years  another  was  to  come,  Maitreya  Buddha, 
the  Buddha  of  kindness,  who  would  restore  all  things — some- 
one like  the  Messiah  of  the  Jews.  The  air  began  to  swarm 
with  spiritual  beings.  They  were  called  Bodhisattvas,  beings 
who  in  the  unseen  world  had  not  arrived  at  complete  enlight- 
enment and  were  postponing  their  final  emancipation  in  order 
to  help  men  here  below.  They,  too,  could  be  worshiped,  so 
that  this  religion  rapidly  became  polytheistic.  And  when  after 
some  time  images  were  made  and  set  up  in  temples.  Buddhism 
became  one  of  the  most  idolatrous  of  all  the  religions  of 
the  world. 

We  can  account  for  the  changes  partly  by  the  suggestion 
already  made — the  natural  reaction  of  the  human  spirit 
against  a  prayerless,  godless  creed,  which  could  never  satisfy 
more  than  a  few  intellectuals  who  had  come  under  the  magic 
influence  of  the  Buddha's  personality.  But  this  does  not 
explain  all.  Another  cause  was  at  work  whose  influence 
must  have  been  tremendous.  Within  the  first  few  centuries 
this  new  faith  came  in  contact  with  alien  peoples,  some  of 
whom  already  lived  on  the  borders  of  India  in  the  foothills 
of  the  Himalayas,  while  others  were  wild  Mongolian  tribes 
who  came  pouring  into  India  from  the  northwest.  These 
rude  nomads  brought  with  them  notions  which  they  would 
not  cast  aside  when  they  embraced  the  religion  of  the  mild 
and  gentle  Buddha.  No  theory  of  the  non-existence  'of  the 
soul  could  ever  hold  them.  They  were  vigorous  as  the 
Hindus  were  dreamy,  and  this  robustness  influenced  the 
Buddhism  of  all  the  northern  countries.  Nirvana,  with  its 
annihilation  of  conscious  existence,  held  out  no  pleasurable 
anticipations  to  them.     They  pushed  it  aside  and  found  more 

65 


[\'-s]  THE  I' AIT  US  or  MANKIND 

to  their  taste  a  heaven  of  bliss  where  beyond  the  western 
mountains  they  might  enjoy  the  rewards  of  a  virtuous  Hfe. 
And  to  correspond  to  this  paradise  they  could  find  nothing 
to  object  to  in  a  hell  where  the  wicked  were  tortured  in  a 
most  realistic   fashion. 

Out  of  all  the  confusion  occasioned  by  this  unparalleled 
development  two  distinct  schools  of  thought  were  at  last 
evolved.  Those  who  departed  most  widely  from  the  master's 
teaching  called  their  doctrine  the  Mahayana,  or  the  Great 
W'hicle.  They  claimed  not  to  be  held  by  the  narrowness  of 
their  more  conservative  brethren,  who  would  not  accept  all 
the  features  of  the  newer  doctrines  we  have  just  been  out- 
lining. These  conservatives  became  the  type  of  the  Buddhists 
of  the  south.  They  were  called  the  Hinayana,  or  the  Lesser 
Vehicle,  by  their  northern  co-religionists,  who  used  this 
name  as  a  term  of  reproach. 

Ill 

The  Buddhism  of  southern  Asia,  the  Hinayana,  is  to  be 
found  in  Burma  and  Siam,  and  the  beautiful  Island  of  Ceylon. 
Buddhism  has  had  a  most  interesting  history  in  the  island. 
The  cult  of  relics  soon  sprang  up,  a  collar  bone  of  Gautama 
and  one  of  his  teeth  being  held  in  great  reverence.  The 
most  noted  temple  in  the  island  is  that  of  the  "Holy  Tooth," 
which,  by  the  way,  is  larger  than  a  horse's  tooth !  "By  dim, 
uncertain  lamplight  the  doors  of  the  casket  are  opened  for 
the  faithful  to  see  it,  and  amid  the  benumbing  perfume  of 
countless  flowers  (which  are  brought  here  daily  as  offerings) 
the  devotee  kneels  before  it  and  allows  his  uncritical  gaze  to 
fall  upon  what  may  rather  be  imagined  than  actually  seen." 

A  sad  fact  is  that  the  intellectual  and  moral  level  of  the 
monks  is  low.  There  are  splendid  men  who  form  an  excep- 
tion to  this  rule,  but  the  average  monk  leads  an  idle  life,  per- 
forming his  religious  duties  in  a  purely  perfunctory  way. 
There  are  those  who  represent  a  reform  movement,  striving 
after  "a  purer,  more  inward  Buddhism,  one  more  in  accord- 
ance, in  many  respects,  with  European  taste."    They  have  in- 

66 


THE  EXCELLENT  LAW  [V-s] 

troduced  preaching  halls  and  sermons  and  a  recitation  of  a 
creed.  There  is  also  a  European  influence  seeking  to  bring 
about  an  understanding  of  essential,  primitive  Buddhism, 
from  which  the  practice  even  in  Ceylon  has  so  widely  de- 
parted. 

Unfortunately  the  ordinary  man  and  woman  has  not  been 
made  deeply  Buddhist.  His  religion  is  a  matter  of  observ- 
ances, with  much  superstition  mixed  in.  Reading  the  sacred 
books  "is  a  kind  of  charm  which  brings  a  blessing  by  the 
mere  reading  and  hearing,  even  although  utterly  unintelli- 
gible to  the  hearer,  and  which  averts  illness  and  exorcises 
evil  spirits."  What  really  controls  the  inner  life  of  the  people 
is  their  ancient  nature  and  demon  worship.  The  people  live 
conscious  of  the  presence  and  influence  of  these  spirits,  who 
are  seeking  to  bring  evil  upon  them.  Here  in  Ceylon  is  where 
Buddhism  is  found  in  its  purest  form,  yet  it  is  unable  really 
to  lift  the  people  into  peace  and  freedom. 

In  Burma  much  the  same  conditions  exist,  except  that  the 
religion  has  penetrated  more  deeply  into  the  life  of  the 
people.  The  whole  education  of  the  people  is  in  the  hands  of 
the  Buddhist  monks.  That  has  given  them  enormous  influ- 
ence and  power.  Further  it  is  customary  in  Burma  for  a 
young  man  to  devote  a  certain  period  of  his  youth  to  the 
monastic  life.  Everywhere  the  landscape  is  studded  with 
the  graceful  pagodas  containing  relics  of  the  Buddha  and 
other  holy  men.  "Anyone  who  has  seen  the  golden  pagoda 
at  Rangoon  shimmering  in  the  moonlight  will  no  longer 
wonder  that  Buddhism  appeals  to  the  people.  Moonlight  in 
Burma  is  almost  intoxicating  to  the  senses."  Naturally  happy 
and  light-hearted,  the  Burmese  have  not  allowed  the  pes- 
simism of  their  religion  to  cloud  their  festive  occasions. 
What  a  paradox  to  see  these  people  worship  at  these  times 
and  repeat  the  creed  of  Buddhism,  "All  is  impermanent,  all  is 
suffering,  all  is  unreal,"  and  then  belie  its  whole  spirit  and 
spend  the  night  in  merry-making ! 

Their  Buddhism  is  strangely  mixed  with  the  propitiation 
of  nats,  the  old  sprites  of  their  pre-Buddhist  native  worship. 

67 


l\'-s]  Tim  FAITHS  or  MANKIND 

These  nats  arc  more  real  to  them  than  the  Buddhas.  "A 
lUirman  with  childish  inconsistency  will  sacrifice  animals  to 
the  nats  and  drink  spirits  in  their  honor — committing  the  two 
worst  sins  in  the  Buddhist  decalogue."  They  are  Buddhists, 
to  be  sure,  but  what  shall  we  say  of  a  religion  whose  adher- 
ents treat  so  lightly  the  teachings  of  their  creed? 

IV 

The  Buddhism  of  China,  Korea,  and  Japan  is  in  a  class  by 
itself.  The  religion  in  these  countries,  particularly  in  Japan, 
has  departed  farther  from  the  teaching  of  Gautama  Buddha 
than  in  any  other.  In  China  Buddhism  came  into  contact 
with  the  dominant  Confucianism  and  has  never  been  able  to 
dislodge  it.  The  chief  reason  why  Buddhism  was  able  to 
get  any  hold  on  the  Chinese  at  all  was  that  it  provided,  in 
its  Mahayana  form,  a  spiritual  faith  with  worship  of  gods 
worthy  of  their  adoration  and  a  belief  in  a  blessed  immor- 
tality. 

The  religion  has  suffered  greatly  from  persecution  in  the 
course  of  its  history.  The  backbone  of  Buddhism  has  always 
been  the  monks  and  the  monasteries.  Without  these  Budd- 
hism could  not  continue  to  exist.  To  the  practical  Chinese 
there  is  something  incongruous  in  seeing  tens  and  even  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  of  men  and  women  separating  them- 
selves from  productive  occupations  and  living  upon  the  bene- 
factions of  the  populace.  It  was  even  more  repugnant  to 
Chinese  feeling  for  these  men  and  women  to  repudiate  family 
life  and  live  as  celibates.  Monasticism  was  a  body  blow  at 
ancestor  worship,  which  lays  a  duty  on  every  man  to  have 
at  least  one  son  to  carry  on  the  worship  of  the  family  an- 
cestors. The  ranks  of  the  monks  are  recruited  from  children, 
some  even  being  bought  from  poor  people  to  fill  up  the  needed 
quota.     For  the  most  part  the  monks  lead  lazy,  useless  lives. 

Despite  all  this  the  people  come  to  the  monks  for  all  kinds 
of  help.  Buddhism  promises  to  deliver  them  from  the  pains 
of  hell.  Even  educated  men  and  officials  who  are  proud 
Confucianists  and  would   feel  humiliated  to  have  it  known, 

68 


THE  EXCELLENT  LAW  [V-s] 

go  in  secret  to  these  monks.  Yet  they  go,  not  because  of 
any  Buddhist  convictions  or  because  they  wish  to  be  ad- 
herents of  the  faith,  but  simply  because  it  is  the  only  way 
they  know  to  supply  certain  needs  they  feel  in  their  lives. 
The  only  real  Buddhists  in  China  who  should  be  counted  as 
such  in  the  census  report  are  the  monks. 

Japan  is  a  Buddhist  country  and  the  religion  is  alive  and 
active.  Instead  of  meeting  a  resolute  antagonist  as  it  did  in 
China,  Buddhism  swallowed  Shintoism,  the  ancient  faith  of 
Japan,  and  all  but  completely  assimilated  it.  Japanese  Bud- 
dhism came  from  China,  as  we  have  seen,  and  is  much  like 
that  of  the  older  country.  The  most  marked  feature  of  the 
religion  in  Japan  is  its  sectarianism.  These  sects  are 
something  like  the  denominations  in  our  Protestantism. 
The  earliest  sects  were  imported  from  China,  but  Japan 
herself  has  developed  this  feature  of  her  religious  life  to  a 
far  greater  extent  than  China.  In  several  of  these  sects  we 
have  the  farthest  departure  from  the  teaching  of  the  Buddha 
and  of  the  original  faith  to  be  found  anywhere.  The  one 
which  has  the  largest  following  in  the  country  is  the  Shin 
sect.  It  has  gone  the  full  length  of  declaring  that  salvation 
can  corne  only  by  faith  in  Amida,  the  ruler  of  the  western 
Paradise.  This  sounds  like  our  doctrine  of  "justification  by 
faith"  and  it  is  like  it,  with  this  important  difference,  that 
Amida  is  a  mere  figment  of  the  imagination,  while  Jesus 
Christ  is  a  historical  character.  This  Shin  sect  is  the  pro- 
gressive sect  in  Japan,  using  western  methods  and  being 
missionary  in  spirit.  They  have  opened  preaching  halls  and 
have  services  on  Sundays.  They  conduct  Sunday  schools, 
have  organized  Young  Men's  Buddhist  Associations,  and 
issue  books  and  periodicals  from  the  press. 

But  unfortunately  the  monks  even  in  this  sect  are  not 
highly  respected.  Of  course  there  are  splendid  exceptions, 
but  among  the  educated  classes  in  Japan  Buddhism  is  not 
in  high  favor.  The  common  people  are  not  concerned  about 
philosophical  Buddhism  and  the  ancient  literature.  The 
idea   of   transmigration    has    taken    firm   hold   and   dominates 

69 


[V-s]  THE  FAITHS  OP  MAXKIXD 

their  thinking.  The  educated  who  are  Buddhists  look  down 
on  the  siyicrstitious  observances  of  the  common  people  and 
construct  their  own  system  in  harmony  with  modern  science 
and  philosophy. 

V 

What  shall  we  say  of  Buddhism  in  a  closing  word?  Orig- 
inal Buddhism  as  taught  by  Gautama  can  never  become,  as 
it  never  has  been,  the  religion  of  any  people.  It  is  too  subtle 
and  intellectualistic  for  that.  Then,  by  trying  to  suppress 
the  instinct  to  worship,  it  ran  counter  to  what  is  a  necessary 
feature  of  the  religion  of  all  save  a  few  cultured  individuals 
at  the  top.  This  has  been  proved  over  and  over  again  in  the 
history  of  the  religion.  When  we  consider  the  form  taken 
by  Buddhism  in  Asia  today,  the  sad  fact  which  emerges  is 
that  it  has  failed  to  root  out  the  puerile  superstitions  of  the 
Animism  which  preceded  it;  and  thus  no  land  is  truly  Budd- 
hist. What  must  we  say  of  a  religion  which  after  over  two 
millenniums  has  not  been  able  to  make  its  own  standards 
and  beliefs  in  any  complete  way  the  belief  and  practice  of 
any  people?  Do  the  detects  lie  in  the  religion  itself  or  in 
abuses  and  misunderstandings?  What  is  the  verdict  of  its 
history? 

Suggestions  for  Thought  and  Discussion 

I.  Religion  and  IVorship 

Consider  the  relation  of  worship  and  social  service.  Why 
spend  time  in  worship  when  so  much  need  abounds  on 
every  side?  What  is  the  chief  danger  in  worship?  How 
can  worship  be  kept  vital  and  significant? 

II.  The  Buddha  Is   Worshiped 

How  can  this  innovation  be  accounted  for?     Can  a  reli- 
gion exist  without  some   form  of   worship?     Give  reasons 
for  your  answer.   Get  clearly  in  mind  the  difference  between 
the  later  Buddhism  and  the  earlier.     In  what  ways  can  the 
70 


THE  EXCELLENT  LAW  [V-s] 

Buddha  be  said  to  be  the  founder  of  both  forms?     Which 
one  is  the  more  adequate  as  a  religion?    For  what  reasons? 

III.     Buddhism  as  a  Present-day  Force 

What  is  the  condition  of  Buddhism  in  the  various  Budd- 
hist countries  today?  How  do  you  account  for  the  condi- 
tion? What  is  needed  to  make  it  an  effective  moral  and 
social  force?  Is  there  hope  that  such  a  change  can  be 
effected?     What  is  your  reason  for  thinking  so? 


71 


CHAPTER  VI 

HONOR  THY  FATHER  AND  THY 
MOTHER 

Ancestor  worship  is  said  to  be  the  real  religion  of  China. 
Chinese  society,  even  Chinese  civilization  as  a  whole,  is  built 
upon  the  foundation  of  the  family.  The  Emperor,  in  all 
ages  of  Chinese  history,  has  been  looked  upon  as  the  Father 
of  his  people.  The  Christian  idea  of  the  family  is  a  growth 
of  centuries  and  only  through  the  appearance  of  Jesus  Christ 
did  the  noblest  conception  of  the  family  and  the  relationship 
of  members  in  it  find  a  voice.  Let  us  look  at  that  develop- 
ment in  the  readings  this  week. 

Daily  Readings 

First  Day  :  The  picture  of  the  family  presented  in  the  Old 
Testament  is  badly  marred.  Polygamy  was  accepted  as  a 
normal  relationship  by  everyone  who  could  afford  to  sup- 
port more  than  one  wife.  Divorce  was  easy  for  a  man  to 
secure  for  any  one  of  a  number  of  reasons,  reasons  which 
the  Christian  conscience  cannot  allow  today.  So  long  as 
these  wrongs  continued  to  exist,  woman  could  never  come 
to  her  own. 

But  even  in  those  days  there  was  a  higher  ideal.  Read 
the  account  of  the  creation  of  woman  in  the  second  chapter 
of  Genesis,  remembering  that  it  is  an  ideal  rather  than  literal 
history. 

And  Jehovah  God  caused  a  deep  sleep  to  fall  upon 
the  man,  and  he  slept;  and  he  took  one  of  his  ribs, 
and  closed  up  the  flesh  instead  thereof :  and  the  rib, 
which  Jehovah  God  had  taken  from  the  man,  made 
he  a  woman,  and  brought  her  unto  the  man.  And  the 
72 


HONOR  FATHER  AND  MOTHER  [VI-2] 

man  said,  This  is  now  bone  of  my  bones,  and  flesh 
of  my  flesh :  she  shall  be  called  Woman,  because  she 
was  taken  out  of  Man.  Therefore  shall  a  man  leave 
his  father  and  his  mother,  and  shall  cleave  unto  his 
wife:  and  they  shall  be  one  flesh. — Gen.  2:21-24. 

Do  you  think  this  ideal  of  marriage  could  be  fulfilled  if  a 
man  should  have  more  than  one  wife? 

Second  Day:  With  all  the  Jewish  people  lacked  in  Old 
Testament  days,  they  were  far  ahead  of  their  neighbors. 
There  was  a  purity  in  the  family  not  to  be  found  among 
other  peoples.     Children  were  taught  to  obey  their  parents. 

Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother,  that  thy  days 
may  be  long  in  the  land  which  Jehovah  thy  God 
giveth   thee. — Exodus   20  :  12. 

A  more  detailed  picture  of  the  dutiful  son  is  given  in 
Proverbs. 

My  son,  keep  the  commandment  of  thy  father, 
And  forsake  not  the  law  of  thy  mother : 
Bind  them  continually  upon  thy  heart; 
Tie  them  about  thy  neck. 
When  thou  walkest,  it  shall  lead  thee ; 
When  thou  sleepest,  it  shall  watch  over  thee ; 
And   when   thou   awakest,    it    shall   talk  with   thee. — 
Prov.  6 :  20-22, 

Women  were  held  in  high  honor.  Beautiful  pictures  are 
presented  of  the  worthy  woman  and  her  place  in  the  family. 

A  worthy  woman  who  can  find? 

For  her  price  is  far  above  rubies. 

The  heart  of  her  husband  trusteth  in  her, 

And  he  shall  have  no  lack  of  gain. 

She  doeth  him  good  and  not  evil 

All  the  days  of  her  life. — Prov.  31  :  10-12. 

Third  Day:  Ascetic  ideas  concerning  marriage  cannot  be 
justifiably  derived  from  Jesus'  words  and  attitude.     Read  the 

7^ 


[VI-4]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MASKIM) 

account  of  the  wedding  at  Cana,  where  His  desire  that  the 
joy  of  the  occasion  should  not  be  broken  took  so  remarkable 
a  turn. 

And  the  third  day  there  was  a  marriage  in  Cana 
of  Galilee;  and  the  mother  of  Jesus  was  there:  and 
Jesus  also  was  bidden,  and  his  disciples,  to  the  mar- 
riage. And  when  the  wine  failed,  the  mother  of 
Jesus  saith  unto  him.  They  have  no  wine.  And 
Jesus  saith  unto  her.  Woman,  what  have  I  to  do  with 
thee?  mine  hour  is  not  yet  come.  His  mother  saith 
unto  the  servants.  Whatsoever  he  saith  unto  you, 
do  it.  Now  there  were  six  waterpots  of  stone  set 
there  after  the  Jews'  manner  of  purifying,  contain- 
ing two  or  three  firkins  apiece.  Jesus  saith  unto 
them.  Fill  the  waterpots  with  water.  And  they  filled 
them  up  to  the  brim.  And  he  saith  unto  them,  Draw 
out  now.  and  bear  unto  the  ruler  of  the  feast.  And 
they  bare  it.  And  when  the  ruler  of  the  feast  tasted 
the  water  now  become  wine,  and  knew  not  whence 
it  was  (but  the  servants  that  had  drawn  the  water 
knew),  the  ruler  of  the  feast  calleth  the  bridegroom, 
and  saith  unto  him,  Every  man  setteth  on  first  the 
good  wine ;  and  when  men  have  drunk  freely,  then 
that  which  is  worse :  thou  hast  kept  the  good  wine 
until  now. — John  2:  i-io. 

This  simple  and  beautiful  picture  should  be  in  the  mind  of 
anyone  who  desires  to  understand  Jesus'  whole  attitude 
toward  marriage  and  the  relationships  of  the  home.  Jesus 
did  not  fail  them.  How  could  He,  when  He  entered  so  heart- 
ily into  the  significance  of  such  an  occasion? 

Fourth  Day:  But  Jesus  was  exceedingly  severe  in  His 
condemnation  of  certain  practices  of  His  day  relative  to  mar- 
riage. He  knew  quite  well  the  passage  from  Deuteronomy 
on  which  the  practice  of  divorce  was  based : 

When  a  man  taketh  a  wife,  and  marrieth  her,  then 
it  shall  be,  if  she  find  no  favor  in  his  eyes,  because  he 
hath  found  some  unseemly  thing  in  her,  that  he  shall 

74 


HONOR  FATHER  AND  MOTHER  [VI-5] 

write  her  a  bill  of  divorcement,  and  give  it  in  her 
hand,  and  send  her  out  of  his  house.  And  when  she 
is  departed  out  of  his  house,  she  may  go  and  be  an- 
other  man's   wife. — Deut.   24:1-2. 

Now  read  the  words  of  Jesus  when  the  Pharisees  came  to 
Him  about  this  matter: 

And  there  came  unto  him  Pharisees,  trying  him, 
and  saying.  Is  it  lawful  for  a  man  to  put  away  his 
wife  for  every  cause?  And  he  answered  and  said, 
Have  ye  not  read,  that  he  who  made  them  from  the 
beginning  made  them  male  and  female,  and  said,  For 
this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  his  father  and  mother, 
and  shall  cleave  to  his  wife ;  and  the  two  shall  be- 
come one  flesh?  So  that  they  are  no  more  two,  but 
one  flesh.  What  therefore  God  hath  joined  together, 
let  not  man  put  asunder.  They  say  unto  him.  Why 
then  did  Moses  command  to  give  a  bill  of  divorce- 
ment, and  to  put  her  away?  He  saith  unto  them, 
Moses  for  your  hardness  of  heart  suffered  you  to  put 
away  your  wives :  but  from  the  beginning  it  hath  not 
been  so.  And  I  say  unto  you,  Whosoever  shall  put 
away  his  wife,  except  for  fornication,  and  shall  marry 
another,  committeth  adultery ;  and  he  that  marrieth 
her  when  she  is  put  away  committeth  adultery. — 
Alatt  19 :  3-9. 

Fifth  Day  :  In  all  his  dealing  with  the  question  of  the 
family,  Paul  is  attempting  to  apply  the  meaning  of  Jesus' 
words  as  to  the  details  of  family  life.  His  position  was 
immeasurably  ahead  of  the  age  in  which  he  lived.  In  prin- 
ciple he  was  entirely  with  his  Master.  The  complete  equality 
of  all  "in  Christ  Jesus"  is  most  clearly  stated. 

There  can  be  neither  Jew  nor  Greek,  there  can 
be  neither  bond  nor  free,  there  can  be  no  male  and 
female;  for  ye  all  are  one  man  in  Christ  Jesus. — 
Gal.   3:28. 

Now  read  the  classic  passage  on  the  relation  of  husband 
and  wife  as  he  interprets  it  from  a  Christian  viewpoint. 

75 


[VI-6]  77//:  I'AITUS  OF  MANKIND 

Wives,  be  in  subjection  unto  your  own  husbands,  as 
unto  the  Lord.  For  tlie  husband  is  the  head  of  the 
wife,  as  Christ  also  is  the  head  of  the  church.  .  .  . 
But  as  the  church  is  subject  to  Christ,  so  let  the 
wives  also  be  to  their  husbands  in  everything.  Hus- 
bands, love  your  wives,  even  as  Christ  also  loved 
the  church,  and  gave  himself  up  for  it;  that  he  might 
sanctify  it.  having  cleansed  it  by  the  washing  of 
water  with  the  word,  that  he  might  present  the 
church  to  himself  a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot 
or  wrinkle  or  any  such  thing;  but  that  it  should  be 
holy  and  without  blemish.  Even  so  ought  husbands 
also  to  love  their  own  wives  as  their  own  bodies. — 
Eph.  5:22-28. 

Mutual  love  and  thoughtfulness  mark  the  relationship, 
which  is  so  close  that  Paul  likens  it  to  that  between  Christ 
and  the  Church.  Can  we  do  anything  better  today  than  go 
back  to  this  passage  from  Paul  to  get  the  most  beautiful 
and  highest  interpretation  of  the  meaning  of  Christian  mar- 
riage ? 

Sixth  Day  :  Paul  dealt  with  other  family  matters,  espe- 
cially the  relation  of  children  and  parents. 

Children,  obey  your  parents  in  all  things,  for  this 
is  well-pleasing  in  the  Lord.  Fathers,  provoke  not 
your  children,  that  they  be  not  discouraged. — Col. 
3:20,  21. 

Obedience  is  the  rule  for  children.  There  was  nothing  new 
about  that.  The  new  feature  which  has  come  into  the  world 
through  Christianity  is  that  fathers  are  bound  to  respect 
their  children.  It  was  Jesus  who  discovered  and  sanctified 
childhood. 

Seventh  Day  :  Paul  says  even  more  about  the  relation  of 
servants  and  their  masters,  probably  because  it  was  the  more 
necessary. 

76 


HONOR  FATHER  AND  MOTHER  [VI-s] 

Servants,  be  obedient  unto  them  that  according  to 
the  flesh  are  your  masters,  with  fear  and  trembUng, 
in  singleness  of  your  heart,  as  unto  Christ;  not  in 
the  way  of  eyeservice,  as  men-pleasers ;  but  as  serv- 
ants of  Christ  doing  the  will  of  God  from  the  heart ; 
with  good  will  doing  service,  as  unto  the  Lord,  and 
not  unto  men  :  knowing  that  whatsoever  good  thing 
each  one  doeth,  the  same  shall  he  receive  again  from 
the  Lord,  whether  he  be  bond  or  free.  And,  ye 
masters,  do  the  same  things  unto  them,  and  forbear 
threatening :  knowing  that  he  who  is  both  their 
Master  and  yours  is  in  heaven,  and  there  is  no  re- 
spect of  persons  with  him. — Eph.  6 :  5-9. 

We  do  not  have  servants  today  in  the  sense  Paul  here  has 
in  mind.  As  the  margin  tells  us,  they  are  "bondservants," 
slaves,  as  we  should  speak  of  them.  Faithfulness  on  the 
part  of  all  who  serve,  and  kindly  consideration  on  the  part 
of  employers — how  far  do  these  prevail  today? 


Study  for  the  Week 


Who  is  not  interested  in  China  these  days?  The  oldest 
nation  in  existence,  whose  origin  nobody  knows ;  the  largest 
number  of  people  in  any  country  in  the  world;  a  people  just 
waking  to  its  opportunity  and  asking  admittance  to  the 
modern  family  of  nations — is  there  not  good  reason  to  be 
intent  on  what  is  happening  there?  Conservatism  has  long 
been  a  mark  of  everything  Chinese.  To  do  things  as  they 
were  done  in  the  good  old  days  of  Yao  and  Shun,  who  are 
supposed  to  have  ruled  China  more  than  2,200  years  before 
Christ,  was  considered  a  signal  mark  of  orthodoxy  and  of 
loyalty  to  China  and  her  institutions.  The  revolution  in 
191 1  accomplished  the  first  radical  change  in  the  form  of 
government  since  the  year  221  B.C.  China  has  waked  up  to 
the  fact  that  all  she  has,  her  national  integrity  included,  de- 
pends   for    its    preservation    on    the    adoption    of    western 

77 


l\I-s]  THE  I-AITUS  0/<  MANKIND 

nuthods.  Many  blunders  are  being  made,  but  the  eye  of 
sympathy  is  able  to  discern  through  all  the  confusion  the 
steady  purpose  to  make  China  worthy  of  the  glorious  tradi- 
tions of  the  past. 

A  China  completely  renovated  is  the  ideal  which  they  have 
set  before  them.  This,  of  course,  includes  religion.  With  a 
people  whose  hold  on  the  past  is  so  tenacious,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  believe  that  the  past  will  not  be  strong  enough  to  be 
a  dominant  influence  in  the  religion  of  the  future.  Even 
with  the  coming  of  Christianity  the  break  cannot  and  ought 
not  to  be  complete. 

II 

What  is  the  religion  of  the  Chinese?  The  answer  which 
comes  immediately  is  that  the  Chinese  are  for  the  most  part 
Confucianists,  Taoists  (pronounced  Dowists),  and  Buddhists, 
with  a  plentiful  sprinkling  of  Mohammedans.  Confucianism 
and  Taoism  were  not  known  until  the  6th  century  before 
Christ,  and  Buddhism  was  not  brought  in  until  the  first  cen- 
tury of  our  era.  What  was  the  religion  of  China  during  the 
centuries,  even  millenniums  before  that?  The  practices  and 
the  beliefs  which  prevailed  in  the  earliest  days  persist  even 
down  to  the  present  time.  Here  again  we  see  the  fundamental 
conservatism  of  the  Chinese  people.  What  is  it  that  lies 
back  of  the  formulated  religions  and  in  many  ways  domi- 
nates them  now? 

What  we  find  in  the  earliest  day,  what  we  find  today,  is  an 
undercurrent  of  belief  in  a  great  number  of  spirits  and  de- 
mons. There  are  millions  of  them,  they  are  everywhere,  no 
one  can  escape  them.  These  spirits  are  good  and  bad,  strong 
and  weak.  The  shining  sun  over  head,  the  source  of  all  mate- 
rial good,  is  looked  upon  as  a  good  spirit  and  everything 
connected  with  him  as  eflFcctive  to  drive  out  demons.  So,  when 
a  boatman  starts  down  the  dangerous  rapids  of  the  Yangtze, 
it  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  for  him  to  kill  a  cock  and  let 
its  blood  drip  into  the  rushing  waters.     Since  the  crowing  of 

78 


HONOR  FATHER  AND  MOTHER  [VI-sJ 

the  cock  heralds  the  rising  of  the  sun,  there  must  be  some  effi- 
cacy in  sacrificing  the  fowl  itself. 

Yet  very  unfortunately  the  bad  spirits  occupy  the  atten- 
tion of  the  Chinese  more  than  the  good  spirits.  He  lives 
in  fear  that  these  imps  will  bring  him  ill  luck  in  any  one  of  a 
hundred  forms.  He  wants  to  neutralize  their  influence  and 
looks  on  religion  as  a  means  to  that  end.  The  religion  of  a 
Chinese  is  very  largely  a  means  of  securing  material  blessings 
and  of  averting  physical  disaster  and  inconvenience.  He 
lives  in  dread  of  smallpox  and  famine  and  fires  and  floods. 
There  have  always  been  some  earnest,  wistful  souls,  but  this 
describes  few,  very  few,  of  the  Chinese.  The  average  Chinese 
looks  on  religion  as  a  doctor  called  in  when  things  go 
wrong. 

The  most  common  form  of  appeal  to  spirits  is  the  worship 
of  ancestors.  It  is  a  real  worship — no  sham,  no  mere  rever- 
ence. The  thought  lying  back  of  ancestor  worship  is  that 
death  does  not  break  up  the  family ;  that  the  dead  Chinese  is 
alive,  and  is  as  much  a  part  of  the  family  as  he  was  before. 
J.  Dyer  Ball,  in  one  of  his  books,  has  a  chapter  on  "The  Life 
of  a  Dead  Chinaman."  Not  only  is  he  alive  and  a  member 
of  the  family,  he  is  the  most  important  member  of  the 
family.  Family  plans  must  be  made  with  the  dead  in  view, 
rather  than  the  living.  They  must  receive  ofiferings  or  they 
may  do  great  injury.  The  tablets  to  ancestors  have  their 
place  in  every  Chinese  house  on  the  god-shelf.  So  ancestor 
worship,  which  in  the  beginning  may  have  sprung  out  of  love 
and  reverence  and  which  doubtless  is  influenced  by  these 
feelings  today,  has  as  its  dominant  motive  the  fear  of  offend- 
ing the  spirits  of  the  departed. 

HI 

Up  to  this  time  we  have  been  looking  at  the  religion  of  the 
masses  of  the  people.  But  even  in  the  earliest  day  of  which 
we  can  know  anything  there  was  another  very  important 
side  to  Chinese  religion.  Based  on  the  same  animistic  founda- 
tion, there  has  always  been  an  elaborate  worship  of  the  higher 

79 


[\I-s]  Tim  FAITHS  OF  MAXKISD 

forces  and  powers  of  nature,  the  climax  of  which  is  the  wor- 
sliip  of  Heaven.  The  over-arcliing  Heaven  in  all  its  magni- 
ficence has  been  worshiped  from  time  immemorial.  At  the 
dead  of  night,  the  longest  night  of  the  year,  the  Emperor  of 
China  has  from  the  earliest  times  proceeded  to  the  Temple  of 
Heaven  and  there  under  the  open  sky,  with  no  shelter  what- 
soever and  in  the  light  of  flaming  torches,  has  offered  sacri- 
fice to  the  great  Shang-ti,  as  Heaven  is  called.  He  is  assisted 
by  a  large  company  of  his  courtiers,  yet  the  worship  is  his  own. 
He  alone  of  all  Chinese  has  the  right  to  offer  this  sacrifice, 
but  he  does  it  as  the  representative  of  his  people.  The  patri- 
archal idea  runs  through  the  entire  scheme  of  this  state  reli- 
gion.    He  worships  for  his  people. 

The  elaborate  ceremonial  connected  with  the  worship  of 
Heaven  is  carried  out  on  the  night  of  the  winter  solstice. 
On  this  night  the  forces  of  darkness  and  cold,  having  had 
full  sway  for  six  months,  begin  to  retire  before  the  forces  of 
light  and  summer  heat.  Many  weary  weeks  of  cold  and 
snow  may  intervene,  but  from  this  night  the  days  begin  to 
grow  longer  and  the  coming  of  the  spring  is  only  a  matter  of 
time.  Like  the  religion  of  the  masses  of  the  people,  this 
worship  is  directed  toward  material  benefits  and  for  China 
alone.  With  all  its  magnificence  it  is  narrow  and  selfish. 
How  different  China  is  from  India!  There  we  find  people 
spiritually  inclined;  here  a  practical  people  intent  on  secur- 
ing material  benefits.  It  is  worthy  of  comment  that  Yuan 
Shih-kai,  the  late  President  of  the  Republic,  continued  to  offer 
sacrifice  to  Heaven  as  the  representative  of  the  people,  and 
the  late  President  Li  Yuan-hung  stated  that  he  would  do 
likewise. 

IV 

It  has  been  emphasized  that  every  feature  of  the  religion 
of  China  existed  and  was  in  full  operation  before  any  of 
the  formal  religions  were  known  or  their  prophets  had  been 
born.  Each  of  these  religions  made  a  contribution  to  Chinese 
life,  but  did  not  alter  the  foundations. 

80 


HONOR  FATHER  AND  MOTHER         [VI-s] 

Confucius  lived  from  551  to  478  B.C.  His  life  was  spent 
in  North  China  during  the  days  of  feudalism.  Many  petty 
princes  vied  with  each  other  and  scarcely  acknowledged  the 
right  of  the  emperor,  who  was  but  little  stronger  than  some 
of  the  princes.  Confucius  was  born  in  the  state  of  Lu.  When 
a  man  he  was  given  an  official  position  and  succeeded  so 
splendidly  that  the  state  of  Lu  became  the  envy  of  the 
adjacent  states.  The  prince  of  one  of  them  determined  to 
end  this  prosperity  and  did  so  by  sending  to  the  Prince  of 
Lu  a  present  of  fine  horses  and  dancing  girls.  In  spite  of 
all  Confucius  could  do  the  prince  gave  himself  to  pleasure 
instead  of  the  afifairs  of  state.  The  result  was  demoralization, 
and  Confucius  lost  his  position.  Then  began  many  years  of 
wanderings,  visiting  the  capital  of  state  after  state,  seeking 
to  induce  the  prince  to  employ  him,  with  the  assurance  that 
prosperity  would  come  if  only  his  methods  were  followed. 
Not  one  prince  was  convinced  and  Confucius  was  compelled 
to  return  to  his  old  home  and  retire  from  public  life.  Here 
for  many  years,  with  his  disciples  gatherefi  around  him,  the 
old  sage  laid  down  his  rules  of  life  and  compiled  the  books 
which  have  come  down  to  us  bearing  his  name. 

Confucius  added  nothing  to  the  religious  life  of  China, 
and,  although  the  state  religion  is  frequently  called  by  his 
name,  he  did  nothing  to  change  its  form  or  give  it  direction. 
What  Confucius  did  was  to  give  China  its  ethical  code.  Yet 
even  here  he  disclaimed  all  right  to  be  called  an  originator, 
preferring  to  be  known  as  a  transmitter  of  the  heritage  of 
bygone  ages.  Yet  he  did  put  the  stamp  of  his  personality 
and  ideas  on  China  so  effectively  that  China  is  still  the  work- 
manship of  the  great  Teacher. 

To  Confucius  the  individual  was  of  little  value,  and  then 
only  as  a  link  in  a  chain  or  as  a  factor  in  the  life  of  the 
state.  Man  must  live  in  relationships,  and  the  relationships 
seem  to  be  more  important  than  the  people  who  are  held  to- 
gether by  them.  The  ancients  knew  what  was  good  better 
than  we  do,  so  the  orthodox  thing  was  to  fill  one's  appointed 
place  and   hope   for  nothing   more.     We   may   see   how   this 

81 


[\l-s]  Tini  FAITHS  OF  MAX  KIND 

works  out  in  his  teaching  of  the  "Five  Relations,"  those  of 
father  and  son,  ruler  and  subject,  husband  and  wife,  elder 
and  younger  brother,  friend  and  friend.  In  each  pair  there 
is  a  superior  and  an  inferior,  one  who  had  the  right  to  issue 
orders  and  one  whose  duty  was  to  obey. 

A  wife  is  considered  inferior  to  her  husband.  Her  duty 
is  obedience,  her  function  is  to  raise  up  sons  to  continue  the 
family  line  and  to  offer  ancestral  sacrifice  after  the  parents 
have  passed  on.  "Of  all  the  sins  a  man  could  commit,"  said 
Mencius,  "the  greatest  is  not  to  have  sons."  But  suppose  a 
man  should  have  no  sons,  what  then?  Either  he  must  adopt 
a  son  or  he  must  bring  in  another  wife.  Thus  polygamy  fol- 
lows in  the  train  of  the  idea  of  family  solidarity.  Woman 
suffers  most,  being  looked  upon  as  a  mere  means  to  an  end. 
She  has  little  value  in  herself;  only  on  becoming  the  mother 
of  a  son  and  because  of  that  fact  does  she  have  any  real 
place  in  Chinese  life.  A  child  has  no  rights  in  China;  the 
rights  belong  to  the  parents.  So  it  has  always  been,  and  it 
is  exceedingly  difficult  to  change.  In  this  and  in  every  other 
respect,  the  old  beaten  tracks  have  been  the  accepted  modes 
of  procedure,  and  change  has  been  scouted  as  an  intolerable 
outrage. 

While  Confucius  was  a  teacher  of  morals,  his  name  is  now 
used  to  cover  the  state  religion,  as  well  as  the  popular  wor- 
ship of  the  people.  Temples  by  the  thousands  are  to  be  found 
filled  with  images  to  all  sorts  of  deities.  Gods  of  the  earth 
and  of  wealth,  patron  divinities  and  benefactors,  gods  to  cure 
illnesses,  gods  who  are  patrons  of  various  callings,  and  so 
through  a  long  list,  are  worshiped  everywhere  in  the  Em- 
pire. The  temples  are  the  center  of  the  religious  life,  but 
religious  rites  are  also  performed  in  the  homes  of  the  people. 
Side  by  side  with  the  ancestral  tablets  are  little  images  of 
the  special  gods  worshiped,  or  written  characters  which  repre- 
sent them.  Cash  or  incense  or  tea  are  offered  before  any 
request  is  made.  The  saddest  thing  about  it  all  is  that  every- 
thing connected  with  the  worship  is  so  selfish  and  on  so  low 
a  material  and  physical  plane. 

82 


HONOR  FATHER  AND  MOTHER  [VI-s] 

V 

A  little  before  the  period  of  Confucius'  greatest  activity, 
there  lived  a  great  teacher  in  North  China  whose  name  was 
Laocius.  Little  is  known  of  him.  He  wrote  a  short  but  very 
enigmatical  book  called  the  "Tao  Te  King"  (pronounced 
Dow  Day  Ging)  which  represents  a  high  idealism.  The 
great  theme  of  the  book  is  the  Tao.  But  what  is  Tao? 
Many,  many  definitions  have  been  given,  and  often  they 
are  very  far  apart.  Here  is  one:  Tao  is  "the  eternal  and 
ubiquitous  impersonal  principle  by  which  the  universe  has 
been  produced  and  is  supported  and  governed."  The  prac- 
tical purpose  of  Laocius'  book  is  to  induce  men  to  follow  the 
example  of  Tao.  We  are  to  be  imitators  of  the  "Way,"  the 
"orderly  processes  of  nature,"  or  whatever  it  is,  and  thus  ful- 
fil our  destiny. 

The  imitation  of  Tao  being  the  leading  idea,  and  Tao 
being  looked  upon  as  impersonal  and  eternally  quiescent,  the 
outcome  was  a  philosophy  of  inactivity.  No  wonder  Con- 
fucius and  Laocius  could  not  understand  each  other ;  they 
were  at  opposite  poles  of  thought.  Confucius  was  the  apostle 
of  activity  and  eager  striving,  Laocius  the  philosopher  of 
quietism.  Confucius  was  the  maker  of  China,  while  Laocius 
is  remembered  only  as  an  impractical  dreamer. 

Yet  Taoism  is  one  of  the  religions  of  China,  and  a  strange 
religion  it  is.  "Instead  of  limiting  itself  to  the  mysticism  of 
its  master,  and  pursuing  his  reasonable  speculations,  it  gave 
itself  up,  at  an  early  date,  to  the  magical  side  of  Chinese 
philosophy  and  practice."  While  no  silly  practices  can  be 
laid  at  the  door  of  the  mystical  Laocius,  his  successors  are 
reputed  to  have  been  able  to  do  marvelous  deeds,  such  as 
walking  through  the  solid  rock,  leaping  off  precipices  with 
no  injury,  and  walking  through  fire  unscathed.  Many  tried 
to  acquire  wisdom  and  immortality  by  physical  means.  A 
pill  of  immortality  is  mentioned,  and  men  attempted  to  be- 
come ethereal  by  starving  themselves  into  insensibility.  The 
Taoist  priests  of   today   are  experts   in   all  kinds   of   magical 

83 


[VI-s]  77//:  FAITHS  Ol-  MASKISD 

and  demonic  lore.  They  impose  on  the  people  in  a  hundred 
ways,  amazing  them  by  walking  up  a  ladder  of  swords,  and 
pushing  needles  through  their  cheeks,  wandering  through  the 
streets  in  this  gruesome  fashion. 

The  ignorant  people  resort  to  these  charlatans  in  all  their 
troubles,  to  expel  demons  of  cholera,  to  give  them  good  luck 
in  business,  to  choose  the  correct  site  for  a  new  house,  to 
determine  when  a  dead  body  should  be  buried,  and  to  meet 
a  hundred  other  wants  of  a  people  eaten  up  with  dread  and 
fear  of  the  malign  influence  of  ten  thousand  evil  spirits. 
The  secret  societies  to  be  found  everywhere  in  China  are  of 
Taoist  origin.  The  Boxers  who  terrorized  north  China  in 
1900  and  massacred  so  many  native  Christians  and  mis- 
sionaries were  under  Taoist  influences.  "Thousands  and  hun- 
dreds of  thousands  believed  that,  possessed  of  Taoist  charms, 
weapons  could  not  harm  them,  and  that  the  horsehair  whip 
blessed  by  the  priest  could  turn  back  upon  the  marksman  the 
bullet  he  fired." 

VI 

Buddhism,  as  we  have  seen  in  the  previous  study,  came 
into  China  in  the  first  century  of  our  era.  At  the  present  time 
it  is  a  pitiable  remnant  of  a  departed  glory.  Buddhist 
monasteries  are  often  found  in  places  of  great  natural 
beauty.  Buddhist  temples  abound,  but,  like  everything  in 
China,  look  dusty  and  dingy.  This  religion  is  able  to  exist 
today  because  it  has  a  message  not  contained  in  other  reli- 
gions. Poor  as  it  may  seem,  there  is  a  spiritual  element  in 
Buddhism.  Immortality  is  vividly  depicted  and  the  help  of 
the  Buddhas  is  assured.  The  Chinese  are  in  sore  need  of 
just  this  element,  and  with  all  their  abhorrence  of  monasti- 
cism  and  its  idle  unproductivity,  they  have  had  an  ear  for  a 
message  which  has  come  to  them  through  this  channel  alone. 
When  a  Chinese  feels  the  solemn  issues  of  life  and  death, 
he  will  listen  to  a  Buddhist  monk  and  take  what  comfort  he 
can  from  the  promises  of  help  and  the  prospect  of  immor- 
tality which  come  from  these  imported  gods  of  India. 

84 


HONOR  FATHER  AND  MOTHER  [VI-s] 

Finally,  these  three  religions  supplement  one  another.  They 
answer  to  varying  moods  of  the  Chinese  soul.  Taoism  deals 
with  the  fear  and  superstitions  of  the  present  life;  Buddhism 
with  death  and  what  is  beyond  death;  while  Confucianism, 
as  enunciated  by  the  sage,  furnishes  the  rule  of  everyday 
life.  All  Chinese  are  Taoists,  Buddhists,  and  Confucianists 
as  occasion  demands — they  are  not  mutually  exclusive. 

A  great  change  is  taking  place  in  China.  The  political 
revolution  is  but  an  outward  evidence  of  a  profound  inner 
development.  For  a  people  as  remarkable  as  the  Chinese, 
the  religions  of  the  country  are  singularly  inadequate.  What 
other  nations  have  long  since  left  behind  as  unfit  for  the 
advancing  civilization  of  the  new  times,  China  with  a  kind 
of  instinctive  conservatism  has  held  fast  to  with  bull-dog 
tenacity.  But  now  she  is  letting  go,  and  is  willing  to  be 
taught  of  the  West. 

With  all  that  China  needs,  the  former  President  of  the  Re- 
public, Yuan  Shih-kai,  placed  his  finger  on  one  of  the  weak- 
est spots  in  all  Chinese  life.  At  the  close  of  a  conversation 
with  Dr.  John  R.  Mott,  the  President  made  the  statement 
that  he  saw  this  great  difference  between  Christianity  and 
Confucianism,  that,  while  in  China  they  had  splendid  ideals, 
Christianity  was  unique  in  that  it  possessed  a  power  which 
made  it  possible  for  men  to  accomplish  what  the  religion 
laid  down  as  a  duty.  How  great  is  the  need  in  China  just 
now  for  such  a  dynamic ! 

Suggestions  for  Thought  and  Discussion 

I.     The  Family  and  Religion 

What  differences  exist  between  the  Old  and  New  Testa- 
ments with  respect  to  the  family?  What  can  be  gathered 
relative  to  the  place  of  children  in  Jesus'  estimate,  from 
His  treatment  of  them?  What  are  the  characteristics  of  a 
Christian  home? 

H.     Religion    in   Its  Beginnings 

What  kind  of  a  religion   did  China  have  to   start  with? 
85 


l\I-.s]  Till:  I'.lll  lis  OJ-  M.IXKJXJJ 

Why  were  not  the  people  allowed  to  worship  the  great  gods 
of  the  state?  What  led  the  people  to  worship  their  an- 
cestors? What  effect  has  this  worship  had  on  Chinese 
society?     In  what  respects  was  this  early  religion  lacking? 

III.    Developed  Religion 

Contrast  the  contribution  of  the  two  great  leaders, 
Confucius  and  Laocius.  Why  did  Confucius  gain  the  as- 
cendency over  the  people?  State  the  strong  and  weak 
points  in  his  ethical  system.  What  lack  still  remained  which 
Buddhism  filled?  Why  was  Buddhism  persecuted?  State 
what  you  consider  the  religious  needs  of  China  today. 

(A   helpful  volume   for   further  study  will  be   found   in 
'The    Historical    Development    of    Religion    in    China,"   by 
W.  J.  Clennell.) 


S6 


CHAPTER  VII 

RELIGION  AND  PATRIOTISM 

Japan  is  above  everything  else  patriotic.  Separated  from 
the  mainland  of  Asia  and  yet  in  touch  with  its  civilization, 
sharing  many  features  of  their  life  with  their  continental 
neighbors  and  yet  considering  themselves  superior  to  them, 
the  people  of  the  Island  Empire  of  the  East  have  developed 
an  intense  nationalism.  Loyalty  is  the  word  printed  large 
over  everything  Japanese.  So  deeply  is  Japanese  religion 
impregnated  with  this  spirit  that  religion  means  little  more 
than  patriotism  to  many  of  the  people  today. 

The  Bible  readings  for  this  week  are  selected  to  present  the 
attitude  of  the  biblical  writers  toward  nationality  and  loyalty 
to  country.  They  present  some  of  the  general  principles  which 
do  not  change,  dealing  with  what  we  might  call  the  founda- 
tions of  a  prosperous  and  lasting  state. 

Daily  Readings 

First  Day  :  The  Hebrew  state  was  founded  on  a  covenant, 
an  agreement  between  God  and  the  nation,  according  to 
which  each  accepted  certain  responsibilities  and  was  to  be  the 
recipient  of  a  certain  recognition  on  the  part  of  the  other. 
The  beginnings  were  in  the  days  when  God  entered  into  such 
a  compact  with  Abraham,  the  Father  of  the  Faithful. 

And  when  Abram  was  ninety  years  old  and  nine, 
Jehovah  appeared  to  Abram,  and  said  unto  him,  I  am 
God  Almighty ;  walk  before  me,  and  be  thou  perfect. 
And  I  will  make  my  covenant  between  me  and  thee, 
and  will  multiply  thee  exceedingly.  And  Abram  fell 
on  his  face :  and  God  talked  with  him,  saying,  As  for 
me,  behold,  my  covenant  is  with  thee,  and  thou  shalt 
be  the  father  of  a  multitude  of  nations. — Gen.  17:  1-4. 

87 


[\l\-2]  THE  i-AlTliS  01'  MANKIND 

Can  you  wonder  that  this  nation,  thus  founded  on  God's 
promise,  should  have  looked  on  its  history  as  sacred  and  a 
glorious  destiny  as  sure? 

Second  Day:  The  covenant  made  with  Abraham  was  re- 
newed with  the  Israelites  through  Moses  at  Sinai.  Here 
quite  explicitly  the  conditional  nature  of  the  obligation  resting 
on  God  is  stated. 

And  Moses  went  up  unto  God,  and  Jehovah  called 
unto  him  out  of  the  mountain,  saying.  Thus  shalt 
thou  say  to  the  house  of  Jacob,  and  tell  the  children 
of  Israel:  Ye  have  seen  what  I  did  unto  the  Egyp- 
tians, and  how  I  bare  you  on  eagles'  wings,  and 
brought  you  unto  myself.  Now  therefore,  if  ye  will 
obey  my  voice  indeed,  and  keep  my  covenant,  then  ye 
shall  be  mine  own  possession  from  among  all  peoples : 
for  all  the  earth  is  mine:  and  ye  shall  be  unto  me  a 
kingdom  of  priests,  and  a  holy  nation.  .  .  .  And  all 
the  people  answered  together,  and  said,  All  that 
Jehovah  hath  spoken  we  will  do.  And  Moses  re- 
ported the  words  of  the  people  unto  Jehovah. — Ex- 
odus 19:  3-6,  8. 

The  responsibility  assumed  by  the  people  was  that  they 
should  obey  God's  voice  and  thus  keep  the  covenant.  The 
Hebrew  nation  was  founded  on  strict  moral  principles.  Can 
a  nation  hope  to  continue  and  be  prosperous  which  is  not 
founded  on  these  same  ethical  principles? 

Third  Day:  When,  a  few  years  later,  the  people  had 
passed  through  the  desert  and  were  ready  to  settle  down  in 
the  Promised  Land  which  they  had  partially  conquered, 
Joshua  summons  them  together  and  renews  the  covenant. 

And  Joshua  said  unto  the  people,  Ye  cannot  serve 
Jehovah;  for  he  is  a  holy  God;  he  is  a  jealous  God; 
he  will  not  forgive  your  transgression  nor  your  sins. 
If  ye  forsake  Jehovah,  and  serve  foreign  gods,  then 
he  will  turn  and  do  you  evil,  and  consume  you,  after 


RELIGION  AND  PATRIOTISM  [VII-4I 

that  he  hath  done  you  good.  And  the  people  said 
unto  Joshua,  Nay ;  but  we  will  serve  Jehovah.  And 
Joshua  said  unto  the  people,  Ye  are  witnesses  against 
yourselves  that  ye  have  chosen  you  Jehovah,  to  serve 
him.  And  they  said.  We  are  witnesses.  Now  there- 
fore put  away,  said  he,  the  foreign  gods  which  are 
among  you,  and  incline  your  heart  unto  Jehovah,  the 
God  of  Israel.  And  the  people  said  unto  Joshua, 
Jehovah  our  God  will  we  serve,  and  unto  his  voice 
will  we  hearken.  So  Joshua  made  a  covenant  with 
the  people  that  day,  and  set  them  a  statute  and  an 
ordinance  in  Shechem. — Josh.  24:19-25. 

Here  the  condition  laid  down  is  that  the  people  were  to  be 
loyal  to  Jehovah  and  to  him  alone.  What  application  can 
this  have  to  the  life  of  nations  today?  Does  it  touch  the 
continuance  of  China  and  Japan  as  nations? 

Fourth  Day  :  What  connection  can  there  be  between  the 
observance  of  the  Jewish  Sabbath  and  the  preservation  of  the 
Jewish   state? 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  if  ye  diligently  hearken 
unto  me,  saith  Jehovah,  to  bring  in  no  burden  through 
the  gates  of  this  city  on  the  sabbath  day,  but  to  hallow 
the  sabbath  day,  to  do  no  work  therein ;  then  shall 
there  enter  in  by  the  gates  of  this  city  kings  and 
princes  sitting  upon  the  throne  of  David,  riding  in 
chariots  and  on  horses,  they,  and  their  princes,  the 
men  of  Judah,  and  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem;  and 
this  city  shall  remain  forever.  .  .  .  But  if  ye  will 
not  hearken  unto  me  to  hallow  the  sabbath  day,  and 
not  to  bear  a  burden  and  enter  in  at  the  gates  of 
Jerusalem  on  the  sabbath  day ;  then  will  I  kindle  a 
fire  in  the  gates  thereof,  and  it  shall  devour  the 
palaces  of  Jerusalem,  and  it  shall  not  be  quenched. — 
Jer.  17:24,  25,  27. 

How  different  is  our  attitude  toward  the  Sabbath,  or  even 
Sunday,  our  day  of  rest  and  worship!     Jesus'  words  relative 

89 


|\lI-3]  77//:"  I  .111  IIS  Ol    M.IXKIM) 

to  its  observance  have  changed  our  whole  outlook.  The 
Sabbath,  according  to  Jesus,  is  our  servant— it  was  made 
for  our  use.  But  must  there  not  be  in  national  life  some 
recognition  of  God  and  of  our  obligation  to  Him?  Are  we 
in  any  less  need  of  such   recognition  than  the  Jews? 

Fifth  Day:  The  day  came  when  the  Northern  Kingdom  of 
I>racl  was  taken  away  captive,  only  to  be  followed  after 
about  a  hundred  years  by  her  southern  sister  Judah.  What 
was  the  reason  for  allowing  them  to  be  plunged  into  such 
misery?  The  inner  lite  of  these  people  was  rotten.  Social 
injustice  and  flagrant  immorality  were  eating  out  the  life  of 
the  nation.  Stability  could  come  only  by  mending  their  ways 
and  living  righteously. 

Hear  the  word  of  Jehovah,  ye  children  of  Israel; 
for  Jehovah  hath  a  controversy  with  the  inhabitants 
of  the  land,  because  there  is  no  truth,  nor  goodness, 
nor  knowledge  of  God  in  the  land.  There  is  nought 
but  swearing  and  breaking  faith,  and  killing,  and 
stealing,  and  committing  adultery ;  they  break  out, 
and  blood  toucheth  blood.— Hos.  4:  1-2. 

Thus  saith  Jehovah  of  hosts,  the  God  of  Israel, 
Amend  your  ways  and  your  doings,  and  I  will  cause 
you  to  dwell  in  this  place.— Jer.  7  :  3. 

Sixth  D.\y  :  Nationality  was  to  Israel  so  absorbing  and 
uplifting  a  conception  that  her  sweetest  singers  return  often 
to  bless  Jehovah  for  His  goodness.    • 

God  be  merciful  unto  us,  and  bless  us. 

And  cause  his  face  to  shine  upon  us  ; 

That  thy  way  may  be  known  upon  earth, 

Thy  salvation  among  all  nations. 

Let  the  peoples  praise  thee.  O  God ; 

Let  all  the  peoples  praise  thee.— Psalm  67:1-3- 

The  psalmist  has  in  this  song  touched  on  a  broad  theme. 
We  are  but  beginning  to  catch  its  significance  now— that  all 
nations  belong  to  God,  that  all  have  their  contribution  to  make 

90 


RELIGION  AND  PATRIOTISM  [Vli-;] 

to  the  world's  life,  and  that,  therefore,  all  should  be  respected 
and  all  should  be  mutually  helpful. 

Seventh  Day  :  Little  is  said  about  nationality  in  the  New 
Testament.  The  Roman  Empire  was  the  dominant  political 
feature  of  the  age,  and  it  was  simply  taken  for  granted  by 
New  Testament  writers.  The  general  attitude  was  one  of 
gratitude  that  peace  and  order  were  insured  by  so  powerful  a 
government.  Only  in  the  Book  of  Revelation,  after  Rome 
began  to  persecute  the  Christians,  is  there  resentment  and 
bitter  denunciation  of  the  powers  in  control.  But  when  Paul 
wrote  his  letter  to  the  Roman  Church,  he  expressed  himself 
strongly  on  the  duty  of  Christians  toward  the  government. 

Let  every  soul  be  in  subjection  to  the  higher 
powers:  for  there  is  no  power  but  of  God;  and  the 
powers  that  be  are  ordained  of  God.  .  .  .  Render 
to  all  their  dues :  tribute  to  whom  tribute  is  due ; 
custom  to  whom  custom  ;  fear  to  whom  fear ;  honor 
to  whom  honor. — Rom.   13 :   i,  7. 

This  was  high  ground  to  take— a  pagan  power  "ordained 
of  God."  Wherever  order  is  maintained  and  justice  is  ad- 
ministered in  the  world  today,  there  in  Paul's  view  is  a  divine 
institution  worthy  of  respect  and  rightly  demanding  obe- 
dience. 

Study  for  the  Week 

I 

What  is  to  become  of  Japan?  This  question  is  of  large 
significance  when  we  consider  the  dominant  place  Japan  has 
been  occupying  in  the  Eastern  world.  The  entrance  of 
Japan  into  the  family  of  nations  during  the  last  fifty  years 
is  one  of  the  marvels  of  the  history  of  civilization,  and  her 
future  is  a  matter  of  deep  concern  to  all  who  are  interested 
in  world  problems.  It  is  fitting  that  we  ask  about  her  reli- 
gious   life,    for    only    by    so    doing    shall    we    understand    the 

91 


l\Il->]  Tllli  I- All  US  01    M.IXKIXD 

Japanese  and  penetrate  to  the  heart  of  the  motives  and  fears 
and  hopes  which  actuate  her  as  a  nation. 

Japan's  own  contribution  to  her  religious  life  has  been 
meager.  What  she  has  received  from  others  has  been  far 
greater  in  bulk  and  more  significant  in  many  ways  than  her 
own  original  deposit.  Yet  Japan  has  always  put  her  own 
stamp  on  whatever  she  has  received,  adapting  it  to  her  pur- 
poses and  fitting  it  into  her  own  characteristic  mold.  There 
is  never  any  difficulty  in  identifying  anything  Japanese— it 
is  her  own  and  no  one  can  mistake  it. 

II 

The  primitive  religion  of  Japan  was  puny  and  simple,  as 
compared  with  the  additions  later  made.  But  while  this  is 
so,  we  must  look  well  at  this  original  deposit,  for  without  a 
clear  understanding  of  its  meaning  one  of  the  most  import- 
ant clues  to  the  whole  subsequent  development  would  be  lack- 
ing. 

Japan's  early  religion  has  been  called  Shinto,  or  Shintoism. 
It  is  today  listed .  as  one  of  the  three  religions  of  Japan, 
Buddhism  and  Confucianism  being  the  other  two.  Shinto  is 
a  borrowed  Chinese  word  whose  Japanese  equivalent  is  Kami- 
no-michi,  which  means  in  English  "the  way  of  the  gods." 
The  clue  to  the  whole  system,  if  it  can  be  dignified  by  such 
a  designation,  is  the  word  Kami.  What  does  this  word 
translated  "gods"  really  mean?  In  its  simplest  signification 
it  means  "what  is  above."  But  this  meaning  grew  until 
Kami  came  to  signify  "any  object  or  natural  phenomenon 
that  might  arouse  the  feelings  of  wonder,  awe,  or  reverence." 
It  is  quite  clear  that  this  simple  religion  was  a  form  of 
animism  or  nature  worship.  The  particular  quality  or  feature 
which  led  to  the  worship  of  any  object  as  a  Kami  was  power. 
The  Japanese  felt  himself  to  be  in  the  presence  of  beings 
stronger  than  himself,  on  whom  he  was  dependent  and  to 
whom  he  should  offer  worship.  This  worship  was  most 
simple^never  was  there  a  form  of  worship  more  unpreten- 
tious.    There  was  no  doctrine  and  no  code  of  morals.     At  a 

92 


RELIGIOX  AND  PATRIOTISM  [VII-s] 

later  period  a  Japanese  writer  naively  explained  that  while 
other  peoples  might  need  rules  and  regulations  to  keep  them 
decent,  the  Japanese  were  different,  all  they  had  to  do  was  to 
follow  the  natural  bent  of  their  hearts  and  they  would  not 
go  astray ! 

Closely  connected  with  this  worship  of  nature  and  grow- 
ing out  of  it  was  ancestor  worship,  which  still  prevails  every- 
where in  Japan.  Every  house  has  its  god  shelf,  on  which 
offerings  are  placed  to  ancestors  as  well  as  gods.  The  theory 
back  of  all  the  thoughts  the  Japanese  have  had  about  them- 
selves is  that  they  are  a  special  creation  of  the  gods.  The  cen- 
tral nerve  of  this  belief  about  themselves  is  that  the  imperial 
line  is  descended  from  their  first  Emperor,  Jimmu  Tenno, 
who  is  said  to  have  begun  to  reign  660  B.C.,  and  who  was 
a  direct  descendant  of  the  sun  goddess,  Amaterasu-no-Miya. 
A  most  remarkable  fact  about  the  dynasty  which  occupies  the 
Japanese  throne  is  that  it  has  provided  an  unbroken  line  of 
emperors  from  the  earliest  day  to  the  present.  The  ruling 
Emperor,  Yoshihito,  is  said  to  be  the  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
second  in  the  direct  line  of  descent.  No  other  imperial 
family  in  the  whole  history  of  the  world  can  show  such  a 
record. 

But  what  has  this  to  do  with  religion?  Much  in  every  way. 
There  has  always  existed  in  Japan  a  reverence  for  the  impe- 
rial house  and  throne,  which  has  amounted  almost,  if  not 
fully,  to  worship.  Despite  all  the  changes  of  the  centuries 
and  the  flood  of  foreign  beliefs  and  practices  which  have 
poured  into  their  land,  the  Japanese  have  never  lost  this  sense 
of  reverential  attachment  and  worshipful  allegiance  to  the 
imperial  line.  This  Japan  did  not  receive  from  abroad ;  it  is 
indigenous  and  original,  and  in  many  ways  has  been  deter- 
minative of  her  history  and  character.  The  Japanese  are 
first  of  all  patriotic,  loyal  to  the  ruling  dynasty.  They  are 
proud  of  their  descent,  of  their  history  and  their  country, 
but  most  of  all  of  the  person,  the  divine  person,  who  rules 
over  them  in  perfect  security  and  with  no  fear. 

As    the   late    Dr.    Knox    happily   put    it,    everything    in    the 

93 


1\I1  s]  77//:  I'AITIIS  OF  M.LW KIND 

ancient  religion  might  be  summed  up  in  the  injunction,  "Fear 
the  gods  and  obey  the  Emperor."  He  speaks  of  this  prim- 
itive Shinto  as  "essentially  nature  worship,  married  to  the 
worship  of  the  Imperial  house."  And  now  at  the  present  time, 
after  all  the  vicissitudes  of  her  history  and  the  introduction  of 
alien  faiths.  Shinto  is  the  embodiment  of  the  spirit  of  patriot- 
ism and  of  loyalty  to  the  reigning  house  of  Japan.  Shinto 
expresses  the  confidence  of  the  Japanese  people  "that  there  is 
a  something  more  than  their  present  strength  and  wisdom 
which  directs  and  aids  and  on  which  they  may  rely." 

Ill 

No  one  can  conjecture  what  would  have  become  of  Japan 
and  her  religion  had  she  been  left  to  herself.  In  the  sixth 
century  of  our  era,  and  even  before,  influences  from  the 
mainland  of  Asia  made  themselves  felt  and  in  a  century  or 
two  Japan  had  entered  the  stream  of  Eastern  Asiatic  civil- 
ization. There  came  from  China  literature  and  letters,  silk- 
w^orms  and  horses,  architecture  and  the  crafts,  and  among 
many  other  things  a  new  religion  and  a  new  morality — that  is. 
Buddhism  and  Confucianism.  Buddhism  became  the  pre- 
vailing religion  of  Japan  and  Confucianism  the  ethical  code. 

The  conquest  of  Japan  by  Buddhism  was  not  without 
opposition.  The  final  victory  was  not  won  until  a  Japanese 
Buddhist  monk,  named  Kobo  Daishi,  opened  the  way  to  an 
understanding  between  Buddhism  and  Shinto.  By  a  stroke 
of  genius,  shall  we  say,  this  astute  monk  proclaimed  that  the 
old  Kami  of  Japan  were  nothing  more  nor  less  than  incarna- 
tions or  manifestations  of  Buddhist  deities.  By  this  ruse 
Shinto  sank  to  a  place  of  inferiority  and  might  have  disap- 
peared, had  it  not  been  for  the  political  motive  which  made 
it  stand  for  reverence  and  veneration  of  the  imperial  house. 

From  that  day  to  this.  Buddhism  has  remained  the  religion 
of  the  masses  of  the  Japanese  people,  and  for  a  thousand 
years  it  continued  the  religion  of  the  upper  classes  as  well. 
The  question  must  arise,  What  contribution  did  Buddhism 
make  that  it  should  thus  stand  first  as  the  religion  of  these 

94 


RELIGION  AND  PATRIOTISM  [VII-s] 

people?  Shinto  was  simple  and  bare;  Buddhism  most  com- 
plex and  gorgeous.  Shinto  shrines  were  plain  unadorned 
buildings  with  no  idols  and  with  the  simplest  accompaniments 
of  worship ;  Buddhism  stimulated  art,  provided  an  elaborate 
ritual  and  showy  paraphernalia  for  worship.  One  of  the 
beauties  of  Japan  today  is  the  sight  of  Buddhist  temples 
tucked  away  amid  the  trees  in  the  solemn  stillness  of  some 
secluded  valley.  All  this  was  unknown  before.  A  priesthood, 
in  so  far  as  Buddhism  can  be  said  to  have  a  priesthood,  was 
everywhere  evident.  Many  splendid  divinities  were  intro- 
duced to  the  people;  the  other  world  was  opened  up  before 
the  wondering  gaze  of  the  simple  natives ;  for  the  first  time 
a  paradise  was  promised  and  a  real  salvation  preached.  The 
most  splendid  of  all  the  divinities  was  the  merciful  Amida, 
who  presides  over  his  paradise  beyond  the  distant  western 
mountains,  there  to  receive  all  worthy  ones  to  bliss  and  im- 
mortality. 

The  writer  can  remember  the  visits  he  paid  as  a  boy  to 
the  great  Buddhist  temple  at  Asakusa,  in  the  city  of  Tokyo. 
The  whole  scene  is  a  strange  mixture  of  solemn  worship 
and  pleasure  seeking.  Shops  with  toys  and  candies  and  all 
kinds  of  souvenirs,  places  for  fun  and  amusement,  remind- 
ing one  a  little  of  Coney  Island,  vie  with  the  desire  for 
worship  to  draw  thousands  to  this  most  popular  resort.  The 
temple  itself  is  very  unattractive  and  dirty  within,  yet  here 
are  persons  throwing  their  cash  into  the  enormous  cofifer, 
and  with  bent  knees  offering  their  petitions  to  Kwannon,  the 
Goddess  of  Mercy.  "Perhaps  no  deity  plays  a  bigger  role 
in  popular  Buddhism,  and  the  famous  Asakusa  Kwannon 
temple  in  Tokyo  is  the  most  frequented  spot  in  all  Japan, 
though  it  must  be  admitted  that  in  recent  years  the  crowds 
are  drawn,  perhaps,  more  by  the  'movies'  which  flank  two 
sides  of  the  temple."  Under  the  same  roof,  but  open  to 
access  by  the  people,  is  the  famous  image  of  Binzuru,  the  god 
of  Healing,  which  has  been  rubbed  by  poor  afflicted  people  so 
long  that  it  has  lost  all  human  features  and  is  a  shiny  mass 
of    wood.     According    to    our    ideas,    this    image    must    be    a 

95 


l\ll-.sj  77//:  I-.imiS  01-  M.IXKIXD 

spreader  of  disease  far  more  than  a  healer,  but  the  belief 
of  the  ignorant  people  is  so  great  that  the  Tokyo  Board  of 
Health  has  not  dared  to  forbid  the  touching  of  the  idol  in 
worship.  This  is  a  picture  of  popular  Buddhism  today  and 
as  it  has  been  for  centuries. 

IV 

Buddhism  gave  Japan  a  religion,  but  it  did  little  in  provid- 
ing the  people  with  an  ethical  code.  Its  rules  were  for  the 
most  part  lor  the  monks.  Here  was  the  opening  for  Con- 
fucianism. But  again  the  unique  stamp  of  Japan  must  be 
put  on  this  exotic  before  it  can  be  called  Japanese.  And 
nowhere  is  the  Japanese  sign-manual  more  deeply  impressed. 
Confucius  based  his  whole  system  on  the  family  and  made 
the  first  relation  that  of  parent  and  child.  Such  a  thing  could 
never  be  allowed  in  Japan.  The  state  must  precede  the  family 
in  devotion.  The  first  relation  is  that  between  ruler  and 
people.  Loyalty,  not  filial  piety,  is  the  first  virtue.  Rever- 
ence for  parents  follows  as  an  undisputed  second,  but  it  has 
lost  its  place  of  preeminence.  Then  again,  in  China  peace 
is  the  condition  most  desired,  and  in  society  the  most  honored 
member  is  the  scholar-sage.  Not  so  in  Japan.  The  most 
important  concern  is  to  maintain  the  ascendency  of  the  rul- 
ing house — this  must  be  accomplished  at  all  costs.  The  soldier 
has  always  been  the  first  man  in  the  Japanese  social  scale. 
But  strange  to  say,  the  soldier  in  Japan  was  also  the  scholar. 
The  martial  and  the  scholarly  were  united  in  one  person, 
thus  making  a  unique  and  fascinating  individual.  Confu- 
cianism was  scarcely  Confucianism,  when  it  became  accli- 
mated in  Japan. 

After  a  thousand  years.  Buddhism  ceased  to  be  the  power 
it  once  was  among  the  higher  classes.  What  religion  they  had 
seems  to  have  been  a  refined  and  elevated  Confucianism,  a 
conception  that  there  was  a  power — indefinable  and  impersonal 
to  be  sure,  but  real — in  the  universe,  a  power  which  myste- 
riously included  everything  in  its  benevolent  embrace.  Prac- 
tically  this   could   amount   to   little   more  than   a   quietism,   a 

96 


RELIGION  AND  PATRIOTISM  [VII-s] 

stoic  acceptance  of  whatever  came  as  inevitable,  a  contempla- 
tive attitude  of  acquiescence  in  all  that  happened  as  decreed 
by  high  heaven.  On  the  positive  side,  loyalty  to  one's  feudal 
lord  and  defending  his  honor  was  sufficient  to  call  out  all  the 
desire  for  activity  in  the  life  of  an  ordinary  man. 

V 

For  a  second  time  in  her  history,  Japan  began  about  a  half 
century  ago  to  feel  the  influence  of  an  alien  civilization.  This 
time  it  was  the  influence  of  the  Western  world.  Her  response 
has  been  wonderful.  Profound  changes  are  taking  place  in  the 
religions. 

Officially  Shinto  has  declared  itself  not  to  be  a  religion, 
though  practically  the  old  native  divinities  are  worshiped  in 
the  old  way,  particularly  in  the  out-of-the-way  places.  It 
exists  for  most  people  as  the  cult  of  patriotism  and  as  such 
its  influence  is  very  powerful.  Many  Japanese,  particularly 
members  of  the  military  caste,  look  upon  this  semi-religious 
patriotism  as  about  all  the  religion  Japan  needs.  This 
extreme  attitude  is  responsible  for  the  question  which  is  a 
vital  one  in  Japan  today,  Can  a  man  be  a  Christian  and  a 
Japanese  patriot  at  the  same  time?  Both  answers,  affirm- 
ative and  negative,  are  still  given,  many  ardent  patriots  refus- 
ing to  be  convinced  of  their  loyalty  by  the  bravery  displayed 
in  two  wars  by  Japanese  Christians. 

The  coming  of  a  new  day  has  made  Buddhism  attempt  to 
clean  house  and  adapt  itself  to  Western  ways.  A  number  of 
leaders  now  interpret  Buddhism  in  accordance  with  Western 
philosophy  and  even  Christian  ideas.  It  would  be  hard  to 
recognize  as  old-time  Buddhism,  but  we  must  expect  more 
of  this  same  thing  as  a  religion  seeks  to  accommodate  itself 
to  the  pulse  beats  of  the  new  life  which  surrounds  it.  With 
the  coming  of  Western  education  the  old  morality  based  on 
old  beliefs  begins  to  lose  its  hold.  This  presents  one  of 
the  most  serious  situations  ever  faced  by  a  nation.  Recently 
a  census  was  taken  of  the  5,000  students  in  the  Imperial  Uni- 
versity at  Tokyo.     450  were  willing  to  put  themselves  down 

97 


[VII-s]  THE  FAITHS  OP  MANKIND 

as  Buddhists  or  Shintoists,  1,550  registered  themselves  as 
atheists,  and  3.000  as  agnostics.  The  old  religions  have  lost 
the  allegiance  of  the  rising  generation.  The  result  is  con- 
fusion, uncertainty,  and  anxiety,  morally  and  religiously. 
Moral  lapses  are  so  frequent  as  to  become  the  concern  of 
the  government ;  suicides  are  increasing  rapidly ;  Japan  is  a 
nation  like  a  ship  at  sea,  not  knowing  its  bearings  and  with- 
out a  rudder.  Desperate  attempts  are  being  made  to  incul- 
cate moral  principles,  but  with  little  effect.  No  nation  in  the 
world  is  in  a  more  dangerous  situation  concerning  the  deeper 
things  of  life  than  Japan. 

Is  there  any  need  for  Christianity?  Listen  to  the  words  of 
President  Harada  of  the  Doshisha  University,  the  leading 
Christian  institution  of  Japan,  whose  declaration  is  that  in 
a  sense  not  true  of  the  old  faiths  Christianity  has  power  to 
satisfy  the  deepest  needs  of  the  heart.  It  does  this  by  pre- 
senting God  as  a  Father,  by  exhibiting  the  personality  of 
Jesus,  by  presenting  a  positive  view  of  life,  by  giving  a  com- 
paratively satisfactory  world-view,  and  by  producing  ex- 
amples of  a  transformed  life.  In  all  these  respects  the  reli- 
gions of  Japan  have  failed.  The  uncertainty  of  the  pres- 
ent time  was  expressed  in  a  cable  from  the  volunteers  in 
Japan  to  the  Student  Volunteer  Convention,  meeting  at 
Xashville    in    1906,    "Japan    is    leading   the   Orient— whither  ?" 

Suggestions  for  Thought  and  Discussion 

I.  Religion   and   the  State 

What  was  the  connection  between  religion  and  the  state 
in  the  Old  Testament?  What  was  the  attitude  of  the  New 
Testament  toward  the  Roman  Empire?  What  connection 
should  there  be  between  religion  and  the  state  now?  How 
can  patriotism  be  saved  from  narrowness  and  intolerance? 

II.  The  Imperial  House  and  Religion 

Why  do  the  Japanese  hold  the  Imperial  House  in  such 
high    honor?      What    connection    does    this    attitude    have 

98 


RELIGION  AND  PATRIOTISM  [VII-s] 

with  religion?  In  what  way  is  Japanese  patriotism  differ- 
ent from  ours?  Is  there  any  fundamental  incompatibility 
between  patriotism  and  internationalism? 

III.     Buddhism  in  Japan 

What  difference  between  the  Buddhism  of  Japan  and  that 
of  Gautama  Buddha?  What  did  Buddhism  do  for  Japan? 
What  distinctive  points  in  Japanese  Buddhism?  What  is 
the  hope  of  the  future? 

(The  best  volume  of  reference  on  the  religions  of  Japan 
is  "The  Development  of  Religion  in  Japan,"  by  George  W. 
Knox.) 


99 


CHAPTER  VIII 

WE  HAVE  ABRAHAM  TO  OUR  FATHER 

In  the  readings  this  week  we  are  to  study  the  Jew  in  the 
light  of  the  Bible.  This  means  that  we  are  to  look  at  him 
through  the  eyes  of  the  Old  Testament  and  through  the  eyes 
of  the  New  Testament  as  well,  for  these  men  who  gave  us 
the  New  Testament  were  followers  of  Jesus  Christ,  the 
most  illustrious  of  the  sons  of  Abraham. 

Daily  Readings 

First  Day  : 

Now  Jehovah  said  unto  Abram,  Get  thee  out  of 
thy  country,  and  from  thy  kindred,  and  from  thy 
father's  house,  unto  the  land  that  I  will  show  thee : 
and  I  will  make  of  thee  a  great  nation,  and  I  will 
bless  thee,  and  make  thy  name  great,  and  I  will  bless 
them  that  bless  thee,  and  him  that  curseth  thee  will 
I  curse :  and  in  thee  shall  all  the  families  of  the 
earth  be  blessed. — Gen.  12:  1-3. 

Note  two  things,  that  a  promise  is  given  to  Abraham  which 
aflFects  not  only  him  but  his  descendants,  and  that  the  pur- 
pose of  this  call  is  very  far-reaching.  How  can  we  today 
justify  God's  choice  of  a  particular  people?  Can  it  be 
merely  to  make  them  His  favorites?  What  was  the  ultimate 
purpose  of  God  in  this  selection,  as  given  by  the  writer  in 
verse  3?  It  is  well  to  keep  this  purpose  in  mind  in  all  our 
thought  of  the  Jewish  people. 

Second  D.\y  :  The  long  history  of  the  Hebrew  people  is, 
we  may  say,  the  history  of  God's  difficult  task  of  training  a 

100 


ABRAHAM  TO  OUR  FATHER  [VIII-3] 

people  to  fulfil  its  purpose  among  the  nations.  The  highest 
mark  of  God's  favor  in  the  past  was  the  wonderful  deliver- 
ance out  of  Egypt. 

When  Israel  went  forth  out  of  Egypt, 
The  house  of  Jacob   from  a  people  of  strange  lan- 
guage ; 
Judah  became  his   sanctuary, 
Israel  his  dominion. 
The  sea  saw  it,  and  fled ; 
The  Jordan  was  driven  back. 
The  mountains  skipped  like  rams. 
The  little  hills  like  lambs. — Psalm  114:  1-4. 

With  all  its  beauty,  is  there  not  a  danger  in  this  attitude 
of  narrowness  and  exclusiveness  ?  Does  not  this  danger  exist 
quite  as  really  today  in  the  life  of  any  nation  which  is  self- 
centered,  and  gives  little  thought  to  the  contribution  it  may 
make  unselfishly  to  the  life  of  the  world? 

Third  Day:  God's  plan  for  this  people  became  evident  to 
a  small  group — He  did  have  an  aim  and  they  had  caught  it. 

And  many  nations  shall  go  and  say,  Come  ye,  and 
let  us  go  up  to  the  mountain  of  Jehovah,  and  to  the 
house  of  the  God  of  Jacob ;  and  he  will  teach  us  of 
his  ways,  and  we  will  walk  in  his  paths.  For  out  of 
Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law,  and  the  word  of  Jehovah 
from  Jerusalem;  and  he  will  judge  between  many 
peoples,  and  will  decide  concerning  strong  nations 
afar  off. — Alicah  4:2-3. 

Jerusalem  is  of  course  the  center  still,  but  the  overflow  of 
its  religious  life  will  touch  even  "strong  nations  afar  off." 

God's  purpose  in  addition  was  to  build  up  a  people  from 
whom  might  come  a  great  Deliverer,  a  Saviour  of  the  whole 
world.    Was  any  nation  ever  more  highly  favored? 

Fourth  Day:  The  crisis  of  the  history  of  the  Hebrews 
was  the  awful  experience  of  the  Babylonian  captivity.     The 

lOI 


[\III-5]  THE  I-AITIIS  Ol-  MANKIND 

nation  as  a  nation  was  destroyed,  and  so  far  as  God's  purposes 
were  concerned  only  a  "Remnant"  was  left. 

And  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  that  day,  that  the  rem- 
nant of  Israel,  and  they  that  are  escaped  of  the  house 
of  Jacob,  shall  no  more  again  lean  upon  him  that 
smote  them,  but  shall  lean  upon  Jehovah,  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel,  in  truth.  A  remnant  shall  return,  even 
the  remnant  of  Jacob,  unto  ihe  mighty  God.  For 
though  thy  people,  Israel,  be  as  the  sand  of  the  sea, 
only  a  remnant  of  them  shall  return  :  a  destruction  is 
determined,  overflowing  with  righteousness. — Isa. 
10:20-22. 

In  the  very  midst  of  the  captivity  a  prophet  arose  who  has 
been  called  the  "Evangelist  of  the  Exile."  He  caught  the 
significance  of  Israel's  call  as  few  others  did,  and  we  have  the 
marvellous  Servant  passages  in  the  latter  part  of  the  book  of 
Isaiah. 

Behold,  my  servant,  whom  I  uphold ;  my  chosen,  in 
whom  my  soul  delighteth :  I  have  put  my  Spirit  upon 
him;  he  will  bring  forth  justice  to  the  Gentiles.  .  .  . 
He  will  not  fail  nor  be  discouraged,  till  he  have  set 
justice  in  the  earth;  and  the  isles  shall  wait  for  his 
law. — Isa.  42  :  I,  4. 

Yea,  he  saith,  It  is  too  light  a  thing  that  thou 
shouldest  be  my  servant  to  raise  up  the  tribes  of 
Jacob,  and  to  restore  the  preserved  of  Israel:  I  will 
also  give  thee  for  a  light  to  the  Gentiles,  that  thou 
mayest  be  my  salvation  unto  the  end  of  the  earth. — 
Isa.  49:  6. 

Fifth  Day  :  Jesus  came  of  the  Jewish  race.  He  came  de- 
claring that  the  Kingdom  of  God  was  at  hand,  that,  despite 
their  blindness  arid  hardness  of  heart  in  the  past,  the  chosen 
people  might  receive  Him  and  thus  meet  God's  expectations 
for  them. 

But  this  was  not  to  be.  He  was  rejected  by  His  own  people, 
through  the  hatred  of  whose  leaders  He  was  finally  crucified. 

102 


ABRAHAM  TO  OUR  FATHER         [VIII-6] 

We  have  but  a  hint  or  two  of  the  anguish  of  this  experience 
to  Jesus. 

0  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  that  killeth  the  prophets, 
and  stoneth  them  that  are  sent  unto  her!  how  often 
would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  together,  even  as 
a  hen  gathereth  her  own  brood  under  her  wings,  and 
ye  would  not !  Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto  you 
desolate :  and  I  say  unto  you,  Ye  shall  not  see  me, 
until  ye  shall  say,  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord. — Luke  13 :  34,  35. 

Like  a  desolate  house  no  longer  inhabited,  Israel  was  in  a 
sense  abandoned — God  no  longer  needed  this  race  to  carry 
out  His  purposes. 

Sixth  Day:  Paul  had  several  experiences  of  rejection  by 
the  Jews  when  he  attempted  to  preach  Christ  to  his  fellow 
Jews  as  the  fulfilment  of  prophecy. 

And  the  next  sabbath  almost  the  whole  city  was 
gathered  together  to  hear  the  word  of  God.  But 
when  the  Jews  saw  the  multitudes,  they  were  filled 
with  jealousy,  and  contradicted  the  things  which  were 
spoken  by  Paul,  and  blasphemed.  And  Paul  and 
Barnabas  spake  out  boldly,  and  said.  It  was  necessary 
that  the  word  of  God  should  first  be  spoken  to  you. 
Seeing  ye  thrust  it  from  you,  and  judge  yourselves 
unworthy  of  eternal  life,  lo,  we  turn  to  the  Gentiles. 
For  so  hath  the  Lord  commanded  us,  saying, 

1  have  set  thee  for  a  light  of  the  Gentiles, 

That   thou   shouldest  be    for   salvation   unto   the   utter- 
most part  of  the  earth. — Acts  13  :  44-47. 

But  to  the  very  end  Paul  longed  and  labored  that  his 
people  might  be  saved  and  might  join  the  company  of  be- 
lievers in  Jesus  Christ. 

Brethren,  my  heart's  desire  and  my  supplication  to 
God  is  for  them,  that  they  may  be  saved. — Rom.  10:  i. 
103 


[\IIl-7]  THE  1-AlTIiS  or  MANKIND 

Skventh  Day  :  Paul  makes  it  very  clear  that  membership 
in  the  Jewish  race  was  of  no  advantage  to  a  man.  He  even 
interprets  circumcision,  the  distinctive  outward  mark  of  the 
Jew,  spiritually. 

For  he  is  not  a  Jew  who  is  one  outwardly ;  neither 
is  that  circumcision  which  is  outward  in  the  flesh  :  but 
he  is  a  Jew  who  is  one  inwardly  ;  and  circumcision  is 
that  of  the  heart,  in  the  spirit  not  in  the  letter;  whose 
praise  is  not  of  men,  but  of  God.— Rom.  2:  28,  29. 

There  is  then  no  longer  any  middle  wall  of  partition  be- 
tween the  Jew  and  the  Gentile.  All  stand  on  the  same  foot- 
ing before  God.  Have  we  ever  imagined  it  possible  for  the 
Jews  to  come  to  Christ?     But  why  not? 

Study  for  the  Week 

I 

"The  Jew,  Sir,"  said  his  minister  to  Frederick  the  Great 
when  asked  to  give  in  a  single  word  a  proof  of  the  truth  of 
the  Bible.  Has  any  race  been  through  what  the  Jews  have 
and  still  survived  with  undiminished  vigor?  For  centuries, 
yes,  ever  since  the  days  of  the  opposition  of  the  Roman 
Empire  to  the  despised  Jew,  this  race  has  been  banned  and 
persecuted.  Shut  up  in  the  Ghetto  in  the  cities  of  Europe, 
they  lived  a  life  apart,  and  only  in  comparatively  modern 
times  have  they  been  allowed  to  participate  in  the  life  of  the 
nations.  Yet  they  have  persisted  and  by  sheer  force  of 
ability  and  pertinacity  they  have  made  a  valuable  contribu- 
tion to  the  life  of  the  peoples  among  whom  they  have  lived. 
They  have  proved  themselves  skilful  money  makers  and 
this  has  given  them  power  and  influence. 

In  the  realms  of  music  and  philosophy  they  have  made  a 
name  for  themselves.  Mendelssohn  in  the  former  and 
Spinoza  in  the  latter  are  names  to  conjure  with.  More 
recently  have  they  distinguished  themselves  in  political  life. 
While    Disraeli    was    Prime    Minister    in    England,    members 

104 


ABRAHAM  TO  OUR  FATHER         [VIII-s] 

of  the  same  race  occupied  similar  positions  in  three  other 
European  countries.  While  it  would  thus  be  possible  to  re- 
count great  names  in  many  fields,  the  chief  interest  to  us  lies 
in  the  race  itself  and  in  the  religion  which  they  profess. 
Scattered  over  the  world  the  Jews  number  about  11,500,000. 
The  "ubiquitous  Jew"  is  found  in  nearly  every  land  where 
trade  holds  out  its  lure,  even  though  in  some  of  these  places 
he  forms  but  a  very  small  colony.  But  he  is  always  the  same 
Jew,  readily  distinguished  from  the  alien  population  among 
whom  he  has  taken  up  his  residence. 

II 

He  is  distinct  in  race  and  in  religion.  Intermarriage  with 
other  people  is  known,  of  course,  as  it  was  in  biblical  days, 
but  is  frowned  upon.  Ostracism  usually  follows  such  a 
marriage.  It  is  difficult  for  an  outsider  to  realize  how  tena- 
ciously purity  of  blood  is  insisted  upon  as  a  sine  qua  non 
in  any  Jewish  community.  ^The  Jews  come  into  relation  with 
others  in  business,  in  education,  and  in  political  life,  but  all 
their  social  life  is  within  their  own  brotherhood. 

All  who  are  Jews  racially  are  counted  by  outsiders  as  Jews 
religiously,  with  little  consideration  of  the  great  differences 
between  individuals  and  different  communities.  The  differ- 
ences which  exist  are  those  of  greater  or  lesser  adherence  to 
the  customary  teachings  and  practices  of  the  community,  but 
even  an  extreme  variation  is  not  sufficient  to  cause  a  sever- 
ance of  relations.  They  come  and  go  as  Jews  and  are  recog- 
nized as  such  by  their  own  people  and  by  others.  How  many 
there  are  who  seem  to  care  little  for  the  religious  observances 
of  their  religion  !  They  are  proud  of  their  race  and  yet  take 
no  share  in  the  religious  life.  For  the  sake  of  avoiding 
criticism  and  as  a  matter  of  outward  conformity,  they  attend 
the  synagogue  occasionally  and  participate  in  a  perfunctory 
way  in  the  most  important  feasts,  but  they  have  no  heart  in 
what  they  do.  They  are  engrossed  in  business  and  have  no 
time  for  such  things. 

One  of  the  most  serious  aspects  of  the  whole  situation  is 

105 


[VIlI-s]  THE  I-AITIIS  or  MANKIND 

that  agnosticism  and  even  atheism  have  made  serious  inroads 
into  the  ranks  of  those  who  are  students  in  the  great  univer- 
sities. They  are  lost  to  Judaism  so  far  as  religion  is  con- 
cerned, with  little  hope  of  their  recovery.  The  same  is  true 
among  the  young  men  and  women  who  belong  to  the  ranks 
of  the  extreme  socialists  and  anarchists.  They  become  bla- 
tant deniers  of  the  sanctities  of  life  and  religion.  To  hear 
gifted  young  Jewish  orators  haranguing  crowds  on  the  fool- 
ishness of  believing  in  a  personal  God  or  on  free-love  is  to 
make  one  shudder  with  apprehension.  Go  to  any  thoughtful 
Jewish  Rabbi  and  he  will  be  found  to  be  in  genuine  distress. 
With  the  loss  of  the  hold  their  religion  has  on  these  young 
men,  there  is  inevitable  moral  slackness.  Even  those  who 
are  in  middle  life  in  this  country  can  remember  the  day 
when  the  Jew  was  pointed  to  as  the  man  seldom  if  ever  seen 
in  a  criminal  court  as  the  defendant.  He  was  singularly  free 
from  crime  and  the  more  flagrant  forms  of  immorality.  Now 
a  very  different  situation  faces  th^  investigator.  It  has  even 
been  said  that  the  most  striking  fact  in  the  criminal  records 
of  some  of  our  cities  is  the  growth  of  crime  among  Jews — 
a  most  remarkable  testimony  to  the  close  connection  between 
moral  deterioration  and  religious  decay. 

The  other  side  of  the  shield  is  full  of  encouragement.  No 
class  in  our  country  is  showing  more  interest  in  social  and 
moral  reform  in  all  its  branches  than  these  keen  Jewish  stu- 
dents. Leaders  in  charity  organizations  and  beneficence, 
advocates  of  child  labor  legislation  and  of  prison  and  other 
reforms,  the  Jews  must  be  looked  upon  as  an  invaluable  ele- 
ment in  our  civilization.  They  are  one  with  us  politically  and 
commercially  and  in  all  movements  of  progress  and  improve- 
ment. 

Ill 

And  now,  what  about  his  religion?  The  first  distinctive 
religious  fact  we  observe  is  that  the  Jew  keeps  the  Sabbath, 
going  to  service  on  Friday  night  and  Saturday  morning. 
Through  all  the  centuries  from  the  time  of  Moses  he  has  not 

io6 


ABRAHAM  TO  OUR  FATHER  [VIII-s] 

deviated  from  the  practice,  but  has  remembered  the  Sabbath 
to  keep  it  holy.  Through  the  portals  of  the  Sabbath,  then, 
we  may  enter  the  house  of  Judaism  and  find  what  kind  of  a 
religion  it   is. 

One  of  the  most  important  discoveries  we  shall  make  is 
that  the  Jew  has  received  a  priceless  legacy  from  the  past 
in  the  Old  Testament.  How  much  of  the  past  to  which  the 
Jew  looks  back  is  identical  with  that  of  the  Christian !  But 
there  is  one  very  significant  and  striking  difference.  The 
Jew  is  directly  descended  from  the  race  whose  story  is  the 
center  of  interest  throughout  the  volume.  They  are  proud  to 
.  say,  as  their  ancestors  said  in  the  days  of  Jesus,  "We  have 
Abraham  to  our  Father."  Their  Temple  is  gone,  to  be  sure, 
sacrifices  are  abolished,  nationality  is  extinct,  they  are  scat- 
tered among  all  the  nations;  yet  despite  all  this  the  old  cove- 
nant relation  between  God  and  this  people  is  very  precious 
and  real  to  them.  They  are  still  conscious  of  a  mission,  they 
are  still  the  chosen  of  the  Lord. 

Without  the  Temple  and  without  the  priestly  and  sacrificial 
system,  they  were  driven  in  upon  themselves  and  their  own 
spiritual  resources.  Along  with  this  deepening  of  spirituality 
has  come  the  regulation  of  life  and  conduct,  even  down  to  the 
minutest  details.  The  basis  of  it  all  was  the  law  of  Moses, 
in  addition  to  which  various  codes  have  been  formulated. 
The  one  under  which  the  great  bulk  of  the  Jews  still  live  is 
that  of  Joseph  Caro,  called  the  "Table  Prepared,"  which  is 
an  arrangement  of  the  whole  traditional  law.  The  Law  has 
always  been  looked  upon  as  "the  expression  of  the  will  of 
God."  But  in  it  lurked  a  danger  which  the  Jews  have  not 
escaped,  that  of  placing  such  emphasis  upon  the  strict  keep- 
ing of  the  law  that  all  else  is  considered  of  secondary  im- 
portance. Today  law  is  looked  upon  by  many  of  the  pro- 
gressives as  a  curtailment  of  personal  liberty.  A  new  spirit 
is  abroad,  the  effect  of  which  no  one  can  prognosticate.  In- 
deed it  is  stated  thus,  "The  chief  modern  problem  in  Jewish 
life  is  just  this:  to  what  extent,  and  in  what  manner,  can 
Judaism  still  place  itself  under  the  reign  of   Law?" 

107 


IVIII-s]  THE  I'AITIIS  or  MANKIND 

IV 

While  ill  conduct  a  Jew  was  bound  by  the  exact  require- 
ments of  the  written  Law,  in  belief  he  was  free.  The  essen- 
tial elements  of  the  Jewish  religion  have  never  been  stated 
authoritatively.  No  one  dared  step  in  to  compel  the  local 
synagogue  to  do  anything  counter  to  its  own  judgment.  To 
put  this  thought  in  the  words  of  a  Jewish  writer,  "Since 
the  time  of  Moses  Mendelssohn  (1728-1786),  the  chief  Jew- 
ish dogma  has  been  that  Judaism  has  no  dogmas." 

This  does  not  mean  that  no  scholars  have  drawn  up 
sets  of  beliefs,  nor  that  many  Jews  have  not  recognized 
them  as  true.  On  the  contrary,  this  has  been  done  many 
times.  In  1896  the  American  Jews  prepared  what  they  called 
the  "Proselyte  Confession,"  as  a  statement  of  beliefs  for  the 
benefit  of  outsiders  and  seekers,  who  desired  to  know  what 
Judaism  stood  for  today.  It  consists  of  five  brief  state- 
ments, as  follows:  (i)  God  the  Holy  One;  (2)  Man  His 
Image;  (3)  Immortality  of  the  Soul;  (4)  Retribution;  (5) 
Israel's   Mission. 

In  the  very  forefront  of  all  statements  of  their  belief  is 
monotheism.  There  is  but  one  God  and  He  only  is  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth.  This  is  the  most  important  feature  of  the 
heritage  from  the  past,  and  it  is  heralded  with  great  clarity 
wherever  the  Jew  is  to  be  found. 

An  important  feature  of  Judaism  has  always  been  its 
feasts.  The  interest  has  persisted,  Passover,  Pentecost,  the 
Feast  of  Tabernacles  being  still  celebrated,  and  there  are 
many  others.  But  these  feasts  are  losing  or  have  lost  their 
primary  significance  and  are  being  interpreted  "ideally  and 
symbolically."  What  will  happen  more  and  more  is  their 
modification  and  adaptation,  so  that  they  may  continue  to 
be  a  pleasing  and  significant  feature  of  the  religious  hfe  of  the 
community. 

V 

One  of  the  difficulties  in  making  any  statement  about  the 
Jewish    religion,    however    brief,    is    caused    by    the    divisions 

108 


ABRAHAM  TO  OUR  FATHER  [VIII-s] 

among  the  Jews  themselves.  Even  among  those  who  call 
themselves  orthodox  there  are  extremists,  like  those,  for 
example,  in  Poland,  who  attempt  to  preserve  intact  all  that 
Judaism  was  in  the  early  period.  They  look  upon  their  Bible 
and  the  Talmud  as  alike  inspired  and  authoritative,  and  have 
changed  little  in  their  expectation  of  a  Messiah  who  is  to 
come  and  fulfil  literally  all  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testa- 
ment. From  this  extreme,  gradations  lead  down  through 
others  still  called  orthodox  until  a  hazy  line  is  crossed  and 
the  confines  of  the  Reform  or  Liberal  Jews  are  reached. 
As  they  have  absorbed  modern  culture  and  have  come  into 
contact  with  the  currents  of  modern  thought,  they  find  it 
difficult  to  hold  the  old  views  without  modification. 

Most  Jews  still  possess  the  Messianic  hope.  In  the  words 
of  one  of  their  leaders,  "The  Messianic  hope  promises  the 
establishment,  by  the  Jews,  of  a  world  power  in  Palestine  to 
which  all  the  nations  of  the  earth  will  pay  homage."  The 
recent  fall  of  Jerusalem  has  vivified  this  expectation.  On 
the  other  hand,  "The  Messianic  idea  now  means  to  many 
Jews  a  belief  in  human  development  and  progress,  with  the 
Jews  filling  the  role  of  the  Messianic  people,  but  only  as 
primus  inter  pares.  It  is  an  expression  of  a  genuine  opti- 
mism." In  orthodox  circles  the  principle  may  be  said  to  be, 
"Judaism  for  the  Jew,"  but  in  contrast  "modern  reformed 
Judaism  is  a  universal  Judaism."  The  national  aspects  are 
waning  and  the  bold  step  is  being  taken  of  asserting  that  their 
religion  is  for  all  men.  They  are  steering  their  bark  out  into- 
the   full  current  of  modern  religious  life. 

What  the  outcome  will  be,  who  can  say?  The  old  ortho- 
dox Jews  are  distinct  and  separate,  both  in  belief  and  as  a 
community,  from  all  other  religious  bodies.  The  modern 
liberal  Jews  lose  their  distinctiveness  in  belief  and  practice 
and  can  scarcely  be  distinguished  from  the  rationalistic  theist 
to  be  found  so  frequently  these  days.  Their  belief  is  very 
tenuous  indeed,  scarcely  sufficient  to  hold  believers  together 
were  it  not  for  other  considerations.  And  other  conditions 
do  exist.     They  are  Jews  in  race,  and  that  means  much  even 

109 


I\III-s]  77//:  I-.in  US  01'  M.lXKIiXD 

among  the  most  liberal.  They  must  hold  together  as  a  dis- 
tinct community.  They  have  a  mission  to  perform.  Put  in 
the  words  of  the  London  Jewish  Religious  Union,  "Till  the 
main  religious  and  moral  principles  of  Judaism  have  been 
accepted  by  the  world  at  large,  the  maintenance  by  the  Jews 
of  a  separate  corporate  existence  is  a  religious  duty  incum- 
bent upon  them.  They  are  the  witnesses  of  God,  and  they 
must  adhere  to  their  religion,  showing  forth  its  truth  and 
excellence  to  all  mankind." 

Suggestions  for  Thought  and  Discussion 

I.  The  Jc-wish  People  in  the  Bible 

For  what  purpose  were  the  Jewish  people  called  to  be  a 
chosen  people?  In  what  way  were  other  peoples  affected 
by  God's  call  of  this  one  race?  What  may  we  expect  of 
this   race  in  the   future  religiously? 

II.  Characteristics  of  the  Race 

Note  their  importance  in  the  life  of  the  world  today. 
What  is  their  present  religious  condition?  What  are  the 
dangers  to  be  found  at  the  present  day? 

III.  Religious  and  Moral  Situation 

What  is  the  unity  of  the  Jewish  race  today?  What  reli- 
gious authority  do  they  recognize?  What  is  the  basis  of 
their  moral  life?  What  is  their  expectation  in  the  future? 
What  do  they  consider  is  their  mission  as  a  people? 

(A  small  book  entitled  "Judaism."  by  Israel  Abrahams, 
will  be  found  helpful  in  studying  this  chapter.) 


1 10 


CHAPTER  IX 

A  PROPHET  WHO  MISSED  THE  WAY 

Mohammed  is  always  thought  of  as  a  prophet.  His  own 
claim  was  that  he  was  the  last,  the  climactic  figure,  of  a  suc- 
cession of  prophets.  Of  the  prophets  six  are  eminent  above 
all  others:  Adam,  the  Chosen  of  God;  Noah,  the  Preacher 
of  God;  Abraham,  the  Friend  of  God;  Moses,  the  Converser 
with  God ;  Jesus,  the  Spirit  of  God ;  Mohammed,  the  Mes- 
senger of  God.  With  the  doctrine  of  prophets  so  prominent 
in  his  teaching,  we  may  profitably  take  up  the  same  subject 
from  the  standpoint  of  the  Bible. 

Daily  Readings 

First  Day:  Let  us  seek  to  discover  the  kind  of  a  man  a 
prophet  must  be.  He  is  to  deliver  a  message,  a  message 
which  is  not  his  own,  and  much  depends  on  his  personal 
character  and  outlook.  Recall  the  account  of  the  call  of  the 
prophet  Isaiah,   which  closes  with  these  words : 

And  I  heard  the  voice  of  the  Lord,  saying,  Whom 
shall  I  send,  and  who  will  go  for  us?  Then  I  said. 
Here  am  I ;  send  me. — Isa.  6  :  8. 

Early  in  his  career  Isaiah  recognized  that  character,  inner 
purity  expressing  itself  through  his  lips,  was  essential  in  a 
messenger  of  God. 

Second  Day  :  Isaiah's  ministry  was  most  varied.  He  ap- 
pears in  the  role  of  a  statesman  giving  advice  to  kings.  Read 
the  account  of  the  word  he  sent  to  King  Hezekiah  after  the 
defiant  speech  delivered  to  Jerusalem  by  the  Assyrian  officer 
whose  master  was  invading  the  country.     When  the  people 

III 


[IX-31  THE  FAITHS  OF  MANKIND 

in  Jerusalem  were  being  persuaded  to  surrender  to  the  Assy- 
rians, Isaiah  plays  the  part  of  the  statesman. 

And  Isaiah  said  unto  them,  Thus  shall  ye  say  to 
your  master.  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  Be  not  afraid  of 
the  words  that  thou  hast  heard,  wherewith  the  serv- 
ants of  the  king  of  Assyria  have  blasphemed  me.  Be- 
hold, I  will  put  a  spirit  in  him,  and  he  shall  hear  tid- 
ings, and  shall  return  unto  his  own  land ;  and  I  will 
cause  him  to  fall  by  the  sword  in  his  own  land.— Isa. 
Z7  •'  6-7. 

Hezekiah  in  his  alarm  would  doubtless  have  paid  respect 
to  the  summons  to  open  the  gates  of  the  city.  Isaiah  with 
rare  wisdom  sees  that  another  course  is  advisable.  God  has 
endowed  at  times  unselfish  men  like  Isaiah  with  the  ability 
to  see  far  more  clearly  than  their  fellows.  Our  picture  of 
a  prophet  now  includes  purity  of  heart,  unselfish  devotion 
to  his  own  city,  the  gift  of  the  seer,  and  above  all,  the  con- 
sciousness of  responsibility  to  God  for  his  conduct. 

Third  Day:  Jeremiah,  the  suffering  prophet  of  the  last 
days  of  the  Israelitish  nation,  stands  out  as  one  of  the  great- 
est in  the  prophetic  line.  His  call  differs  greatly  from  that 
of  Isaiah,  and  it  has  its  unique  lessons  for  us. 

Now  the  word  of  Jehovah  came  unto  me,  saying, 
Before  I  formed  thee  in  the  belly  I  knew  thee,  and 
before  thou  camest  forth  out  of  the  womb  I  sancti- 
fied thee;  I  have  appointed  thee  a  prophet  unto  the 
nations.  Then  said  I,  Ah,  Lord  Jehovah !  behold,  I 
know  not  how  to  speak;  for  I  am  a  child.  But  Je- 
hovah said  unto  me.  Say  not,  I  am  a  child ;  for  to 
whomsoever  I  shall  send  thee  thou  shalt  go,  and 
whatsoever  I  shall  command  thee  thou  shalt  speak. 
Be  not  afraid  because  of  them;  for  I  am  with  thee  to 
deliver  thee,  saith  Jehovah.  Then  Jehovah  put  forth 
his  hand,  and  touched  my  mouth  ;  and  Jehovah  said 
unto  me.  Behold,  I  have  put  my  words  in  thy  mouth : 
see,  I  have  this  day  set  thee  over  the  nations  and  over 
112 


A  PROPHET  WHO  MISSED  THE  WAY    [IX-4] 

the  kingdoms,  to  pluck  up  and  to  break  down  and  to 
destroy  and  to  overthrow,  to  build  and  to  plant. — 
Jer.  I  :  4-10. 

Not  so  much  the  consciousness  of  sin  as  the  fear  of  being 
too  weak  to  deliver  God's  message  fills  Jeremiah  with  appre- 
hension. How  are  his  fears  allayed?  Jeremiah  was  a  prophet 
because  the  hand  of  God  was  laid  heavily  on  him. 

And  if  I  say,  I  will  not  make  mention  of  him,  nor 
speak  any  more  in  his  name,  then  there  is  in  my 
heart  as  it  were  a  burning  fire  shut  up  in  my  bones, 
and  I  am  weary  with  forbearing,  and  I  cannot  con- 
tain.— Jer.  20:  9. 

This  passage  brings  out  forcibly  what  is  perhaps  the  chief 
function  of  a  prophet,  to  be  one  who  speaks  out  for  God, 
delivers  His  message.  He  is  then  primarily  a  preacher,  a 
preacher  of  righteousness,  a  herald  of  doom,  or  a  harbinger 
of  good  tidings. 

Fourth  Day  :  Not  only  were  there  true  prophets  in  Israel, 
in  a  number  of  places  a  class  of  men  is  mentioned  called 
"false  prophets,"  professionals,  whose  only  right  to  the  title 
is  their  own  claim. 

Therefore,  behold,  I  am  against  the  prophets,  saith 
Jehovah,  that  steal  my  words  every  one  from  his 
neighbor.  Behold,  I  am  against  the  prophets,  saith 
Jehovah,  that  use  their  tongues,  and  say.  He  saith. 
Behold,  I  am  against  them  that  prophesy  lying 
dreams,  saith  Jehovah,  and  do  tell  them,  and  cause 
my  people  to  err  by  their  lies,  and  by  their  vain  boast- 
ing :  yet  I  sent  them  not,  nor  commanded  them ; 
neither  do  they  profit  this  people  at  all,  saith  Jehovah. 
—Jer.  2Z-- 20-2,2. 

A  prophet  must  be  judged  by  the  fruits  of  his  ministry, 
nobility  of  character,  wisdom  in  utterance,  and  unselfish 
devotion  to  the  Kingdom  of  God. 

113 


[IX-5I  THE  1- AIT  lis  Of  M.IXKIXD 

Fifth  Day:  The  sincerity  of  a  man's  profession  is  tested 
by  persecution.  A  noble  example  of  constancy  is  found  in 
the  exi)ericnce  of  Jeremiah,  who  would  not  say  smooth  words 
to  tickle  the  ears  of  a  perverse  people.  Read  the  story  of  his 
imprisonment. 

And  the  princes  were  wroth  with  Jeremiah,  and 
smote  him,  and  put  him  in  prison  in  the  house  of 
Jonathan  the  scribe ;  for  they  had  made  that  the 
prison.  When  Jeremiah  was  come  into  the  dungeon- 
house,  and  into  the  cells,  and  Jeremiah  had  remained 
there  many  days ;  then  Zedekiah  the  king  sent,  and 
fetched  him  :  and  the  king  asked  him  secretly  in  his 
house,  and  said,  Is  there  any  word  from  Jehovah? 
And  Jeremiah  said.  There  is.  He  said  also,  Thou 
shalt  be  delivered  into  the  hand  of  the  king  of  Baby- 
lon. Moreover  Jeremiah  said  unto  king  Zedekiah, 
Wherein  have  I  sinned  against  thee,  or  against  thy 
servants,  or  against  this  people,  that  ye  have  put  me 
in  prison?  Where  now  are  your  prophets  that 
prophesied  unto  you,  saying,  The  king  of  Babylon 
shall  not  come  against  you,  nor  against  this  land? — 
Jer.  37  ••  I5-I9- 

How  much  a  man  can  endure  when  he  knows  he  is  right  I 

Sixth  Day:  The  last  of  the  line  of  Old  Testament  prophets 
is  John  the  Baptist.  Read  Jesus'  appraisal  of  this  gaunt  son 
of  the  desert,  who  had  suddenly  appeared  calling  on  men  to 
repent: 

And  as  these  went  their  way,  Jesus  began  to  say 
unto  the  multitudes  concerning  John,  What  went  ye 
out  into  the  wilderness  to  behold?  a  reed  shaken  with 
•the  wind?  But  what  went  ye  out  to  see?  a  man 
clothed  in  soft  raiment?  Behold,  they  that  wear  soft 
raiment  are  in  kings'  houses.  But  wherefore  went 
ye  out?  to  see  a  prophet?  Yea,  I  say  unto  you,  and 
much  more  than  a  prophet.  This  is  he,  of  whom  it 
is  written, 

114 


A  PROPHET  WHO  MISSED  THE  WAY    [IX-7] 

Behold,  I  send  my  messenger  before  thy  face, 
Who  shall  prepare  thy  way  before  thee. 
Verily  I   say  unto  you,  Among  them  that  are  born 
of  women  there  hath  not  arisen  a  greater  than  John 
the  Baptist :  yet  he  that  is  but  little  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  greater  than  he. — Matt.  11:7-11. 

"Yea,  and  much  more  than  a  prophet" — a  man  living  the 
simple  life  not  as  a  fad,  but  because  the  call  of  God  had 
driven  him  out  into  the  desert.  He  was  the  last  of  that  glori- 
ous band  of  prophets  who  for  a  thousand  years  and  more  had 
heard  God's  call,  had  found  the  trail,  and  had  not  missed  the 
way. 

Seventh  Day:  Technically  speaking,  the  order  of  prophets 
came  to  an  end  with  the  appearance  of  Jesus.  But  there  are 
references  to  men  in  the  Apostolic  Church  called  "prophets." 
Read  Paul's  estimate  of  the  work  of  such  men  in  the  Chris- 
tian Church. 

Follow  after  love ;  yet  desire  earnestly  spiritual 
gifts,  but  rather  that  ye  may  prophesy.  For  he  that 
speaketh  in  a  tongue  speaketh  not  unto  men,  but 
unto  God ;  for  no  man  understandeth ;  but  in  the 
spirit  he  speaketh  mysteries.  But  he  that  prophesieth 
speaketh  unto  men  edification,  and  exhortation,  and 
consolation.  He  that  speaketh  in  a  tongue  edifieth 
himself;  but  he  that  prophesieth  edifieth  the  church. 
Now  I  would  have  you  all  speak  with  tongues,  but 
rather  that  ye  should  prophesy:  and  greater  is  he 
that  prophesieth  than  he  that  speaketh  with  tongues, 
except  he  interpret,  that  the  church  may  receive 
edifying. — I  Cor.   14:1-5. 

He  places  prophesying  above  the  mysterious  "gift  of 
tongues."  This  means  that  the  "gift"  of  speaking  out  plainly 
God's  message  so  that  men  can  understand  it  is  to  be  prized 
highly.  We  speak  today  of  Christian  ministers  as  bearing  the 
mantle  of  the  prophets,  in  so  far  as  they  faithfully  declare 
the  message  God  has  planted  in  their  souls.     Are  they  not 

115 


[IX-s]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MANKIND 

prophets  also  who,  with  broad  vision  and  depth  of  life,  direct 
the  attention  of  men  and  women  to  the  judgments  of  God 
as  they  see  them  writ  large  in  the  events  of  the  day? 


Study  for  the  Week 

I 

La  ilah  ilia'  Halt;  Mohammed  rcsoul  Allah.  This  simple 
short  creed  of  the  Mohammedan  world,  'There  is  no  God 
but  Allah,  and  Mohammed  is  the  Prophet  of  Allah,"  re- 
sounds from  ten  thousand  minarets  five  times  each  day. 
From  the  day  when  Mohammed  appointed  a  crier,  the  sound 
of  the  human  voice  has  been  the  summons  to  private  devo- 
tion and  to  public  worship  in  the  mosque.  Two  hundred 
millions  of  Mohammedans,  whether  within  sound  of  the 
voice  of  the  Muezzin,  as  he  is  called,  or  out  in  the  desert 
sands,  lay  down  their  burdens  five  times  each  day  and, 
reverently  facing  Mecca,  prostrate  themselves  to  the  ground, 
repeat  the  creed,  and  make  known  their  requests  to  Allah. 

Two  hundred  millions  of  them,  yes  and  it  may  be  more, 
as  some  believe.  They  are  found  in  China,  in  the  vast  table- 
lands of  Central  Asia,  in  the  Dutch  East  Indies,  where  they 
are  the  dominant  religious  force,  and  as  far  to  the  east  as 
the  Sulu  archipelago  of  our  own  Philippines.  From  India, 
west  through  the  entire  distance  to  the  Atlantic  coast  of 
Africa,  the  Mohammedan  has  made  a  clean  sweep.  Afghan- 
istan, Persia,  Arabia — the  "Cradle  of  Islam" — the  Turkish 
Empire,  Egypt,  and  all  the  states  as  far  as  the  extreme  north- 
west corner  of  Africa,  are  almost  solidly  Moslem.  The  ex- 
ceptions are  the  remnants  of  so-called  Oriental  Christian 
churches,  like  the  Armenian  Church  in  Turkey  and  the  Coptic 
Church  in  Egypt.  South  of  these  north  African  states 
stretches  the  mighty  Sahara,  whose  nomadic  peoples  are  all 
followers  of  the  Prophet.  And  south  of  the  Sahara  is  the 
populous  Sudan,  where  the  tribes  not  now  Mohammedan  are 
falling  rapidly  an  easy  prey  to  the  emissaries  of  Islam.  Here 
and   in  the   East  Indies  Mohammedanism   is  advancing  most 

ii6 


A  PROPHET  WHO  MISSED  THE  WAY    [IX-s] 

rapidly,  making  converts  and  capturing  tribe  after  tribe.  The 
advance  is  so  swift  that,  up  to  the  present  time,  Christianity 
has  not  been  able  to  thwart  the  progress.  In  Africa  especially 
the  question  must  be  asked.  Is  the  continent  to  be  Moham- 
medan or  Christian?  Paganism  cannot  hold  its  own  before 
any  higher  faith,  so  the  question  has  narrowed  itself  down  to 
this  simple  alternative,  Alohammed  or  Christ.  What  is  the 
significance  of  this  alternative? 


II 

The  chief  factor  in  Mohammedanism  is  Mohammed.  To 
believe  in  him  is  as  necessary  as  to  believe  in  Allah.  So  we 
must  try  to  understand  Mohammed  if  we  would  know  his 
religion.  Islam  is  not  a  "bolt  out  of  the  blue";  it  was  not 
born  full-fledged  out  of  the  brain  of  Mohammed,  as  his 
followers  still  fondly  believe.  The  investigations  of  European 
scholars  enable  us  to  fill  in  many  details  concerning  the 
Arabs  before  Mohammed's  time.  One  feature  in  the  picture 
is  altogether  favorable  to  Mohammed.  He  is  shown  to  have 
been  a  true  reformer.  He  made  war  against  the  prevailing 
infanticide,  particularly  of  the  girl  babies;  he  abolished  the 
blood-feud  between  tribes  by  proclaiming  a  new  brotherhood; 
he  was  relentless  in  his  opposition  to  polytheism  and  the  use 
of  idols,  and  he  succeeded  in  establishing  the  worship  of  one 
God,  Allah,  in  the  land. 

Allah  was  a  well-known  God  in  Arabia  before  Mohammed's 
time.  What  Mohammed  did  was  to  raise  him  to  the  position 
of  sole  God  of  the  universe,  denying  the  existence  of  all 
others.  Mecca  was  already  a  "Mecca"  when  Mohammed  was 
born.  To  this  city  as  a  religious  center  the  tribes  flocked  at 
certain  seasons  and  performed  their  rites.  Mohammed  seized 
upon  these  practices,  gave  them  a  new  interpretation  by  con- 
necting them  with  the  name  of  Abraham,  and  made  pilgrim- 
age to  Mecca  and  the  exact  performance  of  a  striking  ritual 
an  essential  part  of  the  faith.  Not  only  were  these  features 
taken  over  from  the  existing  heathenism;  there  were  a  few 

117 


lix->]^         Tim  J  Anns  oi-  maxkind 

men  in  Arabia  who,  it  would  seem,  had  lost  faith  in  the  old 
paganism  and  were  longing  for  a  purer  faith.  Mohammed 
seems  to  have  been  in  touch  with  these  men.  Then  there 
were  scattered  over  the  land  communities  of  Jews  and  of 
Christians,  from  whom,  particularly  the  Jews,  Mohammed 
picked  up  many  things  which  he  incorporated  in  his  religion. 

.       Ill 

Mohammed  was  born  in  Mecca  in  the  year  570,  and  died  in 
Medina  in  632  A.  D.  He  came  of  a  well-known  and  influ- 
ential family,  but,  being  left  an  orphan  at  an  early  age,  was 
brought  up  first  by  his  grandfather,  and  then  by  his  uncle 
Abu  Talib.  These  experiences  left  a  deep  impression  upon 
a  very  impressionable  young  boy.  To  the  very  end  of  his  life 
he  was  most  kind  to  the  widow  and  the  orphan.  Not  much  is 
known  of  his  boyhood  and  young  manhood.  It  is  probable 
that  he  was  subject  to  attacks  of  the  nature  of  epileptic  seiz- 
ures. Throughout  his  whole  life  Mohammed  gives  indications 
of  being  not  quite  normal.  As  one  writer  put  it,  he  is  a 
"pathological  case."  He  was  called  by  his  companions  Al 
Amin,  the  Trusty  or  Faithful.  Why  or  when  we  do  not  know, 
but  the  giving  of  the  name  alone  would  indicate  that  he  was 
regarded  favorably  by  his  fellows. 

When  he  was  about  twenty-five  he  was  recommended  to  his 
kinswoman  Khadijah,  a  well-to-do  widow,  as  one  to  be 
trusted  to  conduct  her  affairs  upon  one  of  the  caravan  jour- 
neys which  w-ere  the  source  of  Mecca's  commercial  prosperity. 
He  accepted  the  mission,  performed  it  successfully,  and  so 
pleased  his  employer  that  she  offered  him  her  hand  in  mar- 
riage. Though  she  was  fifteen  years  his  senior,  Mohammed 
accepted  her  offer  and  they  were  married.  For  twenty-five 
years  they  lived  happily  together,  Khadijah  being  his  only 
wife.  Until  the  time  of  his  marriage  Mohammed  had  been 
of  necessity  a  man  of  affairs.  The  old  epithet,  "The  Camel 
Driver  of  Mecca."  may  be  more  or  less  truly  descriptive  of 
him.    But  now,  married  to  a  woman  of  means,  he  had  leisure. 

118 


A  PROPHET  WHO  MISSED  THE  WAY    [IX-s] 

Dreamer  that  he  was,  he  now  had  ample  opportunity  to  in- 
dulge his  tastes.  This  fact  made  possible  the  rise  of  the  new 
religion. 

IV 

At  some  time  about  the  year  6io,  while  Mohammed  and  his 
family  were  seeking  to  escape  the  torrid  and  enervating  heat 
of  Alecca  on  the  heights  of  Mt.  Hira,  not  far  away,  Mo- 
hammed received  what  is  known  as  the  first  revelation.  To 
us  it  sounds  curious  enough.  According  to  tradition  this  is 
the  word  which  came  to  him,  as  recorded  in  the  96th  Sura  or 
chapter  of  the  Koran. 

"Recite  thou,  in  the  name  of  thy  Lord  who  created; — 
Created  man  from  Clots  of  Blood : — 
Recite  thou !     For  thy  Lord  is  the  most  Beneficent, 
Who  hath  taught  the  use  of  the  pen ; — 
Hath  taught  Man  that  which  he  knoweth  not." 

He  is  told  to  proclaim  something,  in  the  name  of  the  great 
God,  one  of  whose  recent  benefactions  was  that  he  had  taught 
the  Arabs  reading  and  writing.  Very  indefinite  and  very 
inconsequential,  we  say.  We  must  judge,  however,  by  the 
effect  on  Mohammed.  He  was  greatly  agitated,  his  whole 
being  was  profoundly  moved,  he  could  never  be  the  same  man 
again.  Is  this  all  that  was  to  be  revealed?  That  was  the 
question  Mohammed  asked  over  and  over  again.  His  mental 
condition  became  such  that  he  is  said  to  have  attempted  to 
take  his  own  life,  and  was  only  prevented  from  doing  so  by 
his  good  wife,  Khadijah.  She  was  his  stay  during  this 
period  when  no  further  revelation  came.  She  assured  him 
that  God  had  in  reality  spoken  to  him,  and  that  the  voice 
would  come  again. 

And  sure  enough  another  message  came.  Two  years  are 
said  by  many  to  have  passed  before  the  silence  was  broken. 
Then  came  the  words  recorded  at  the  opening  of  the  74th 
Sura. 


[IX-s]  THE  FAITHS  Of  MANKIND 

"O   thou,   enwrapped   in   thy   mantle! 

Arise  and  warn  ! 

Thy   Lord — magnify   Him! 

Thy   raiment — purify   it! 

The  abomination — flee  it ! 

•And  bestow  not  favors  that  thou  mayest  receive  again  with 
increase ; 

And   for  thy  Lord  wait  thou  patiently. 

For  when  there  shall  be  a  trump  on  the  trumpet, 

That  shall  be  a  distressful  day, 

A  day,  to  the  Infidels,  devoid  of  ease." 

From  these  words  Mohammed  took  it  that  he  was  now 
commissioned  to  "arise  and  warn."  And  the  main  contents 
of  the  message  are  given,  too — he  is  to  magnify  Allah  his 
Lord;  he  is  not  to  consider  what  men  may  say  or  do;  and  he 
is  to  herald  "the  day,"  the  "distressful"  day  of  judgment, 
which  is  surely  coming.  This  describes  quite  faithfully  the 
mission  of  Mohammed  during  the  period  he  spent  in  Mecca. 
He  was  a  "Warner,"  the  sounds  of  the  Day  of  Judgment  are 
always  ringing  in  his  ears.  The  Almighty  Allah  is  seated  on 
his  throne  of  power,  jealous  of  his  prerogatives,  and  de- 
manding utter  submission  and  implicit  obedience.  Hence  the 
name  of  the  religion,  Islam,  which  means  "to  submit";  hence 
the  designation  of  the  individual  Mohammedan,  Moslem, 
"one  who  submits."  It  is,  according  to  the  new  prophet,  a 
religion  of  submission  to  Allah;  from  this  center  all  Moham- 
med's preaching  radiates. 

V 

Now  for  ten  or  twelve  years  Mohammed  preached  his  doc- 
trine to  all  who  would  listen.  As  the  years  passed  a  small 
group  of  influential  men  gathered  around  him,  men  who  in 
the  years  to  come  were  to  play  an  important  role  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  religion,  but  for  the  most  part  the  Moslems  were 
from  the  poor  and  the  slave  class.  They  were  so  seriously 
persecuted   that   twice   a   group    found   it  advisable   to  go   to 

120 


A  PROPHET  WHO  MISSED  THE  WAV    [IX-s] 

Abyssinia  to  find  refuge.  Mohammed  himself  received  the 
protection  of  his  uncle,  Abu  Talib,  and  thus  escaped.  So 
serious  was  the  opposition  of  the  Meccans  that  it  became  more 
evident  as  the  years  passed  that  his  mission  had  no  chance  of 
success  in  his  own  city. 

From  the  time  the  second  revelation  came  Mohammed 
seems  never  to  have  faltered  in  his  belief  that  he  was  God's 
messenger.  Not  only  m  the  days  of  success  in  Medina,  but 
during  the  period  of  persecution  and  opposition  in  Mecca, 
he  was  ever  the  same,  the  uncompromising  herald  of  God's 
judgment  and  of  his  own  high  office  as  God's  messenger. 
There  is  much  evidence  on  which  to  rest  an  argument  for 
Mohammed's  sincerity  during  these  years  in  Mecca.  His 
was  the  spirit  of  the  reformer,  of  the  genuine  preacher  of 
righteousness  and  the  wrath  of  God  on  all  disobedience. 
After  the  long  period  of  which  we  have  spoken  when  no 
revelation  was  granted,  a  complete  change  takes  place.  There 
is  a  steady  f^ow  of  revelations  until  the  end  of  his  life.  When 
he  had  died,  these  fragments  were  collected  and  brought  to- 
gether into  a  book  which  we  know  as  the  Koran.  The  mean- 
ing of  the  word  is  "what  is  recited,"  the  participle  of  the  very 
first  word  which  came  to  him  at  the  first  revelation.  So  the 
Koran  is  simply  the  collection  of  these  inspired  utterances 
of  Mohammed.  In  the  Meccan  days  the  utterances  were 
short  and  energetic  outbursts  of  poetic  fire.  He  is  the  "Poet- 
warner,"  and  he  preaches  his  message  with  vigor.  He  be- 
lieved that  as  occasion  demanded  God  sent  him  the  appro- 
priate message  by  the  hand  of  the  Angel  Gabriel. 

About  the  year  620  Mohammed  suffered  the  loss  of  two 
friends.  One  was  his  protector,  Abu  Talib,  and  the  other  was 
his  wife,  Khadijah.  There  was  little  now  to  hold  him  in 
Mecca,  and  he  began  to  seek  a  suitable  center  from  which 
he  might  preach  his  religion  with  more  hope  of  success.  Two 
years  passed,  before  the  step  was  taken.  In  the  memorable 
year  622,  the  year  one  in  the  Alohammedan  calendar,  oc- 
curred the  Hegira,  or  "Flight."  Mohammed  left  Mecca  and 
secretly  made  his  way  to  Medina,  a  city  about  250  miles  due 


IIX-s]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MAXKIXD 

north.  The  people  of  Medina,  as  well  as  his  own  followers 
who  had  preceded  him,  received  him  cordially.  Here  Mo- 
liammed  settled  down  and  lived  the  remainder  of  his  life. 


VI 

The  Hegira  marks  an  era.  Mohammed  is  no  longer  a 
mere  preacher  of  righteousness,  a  warner ;  he  is  now  a  ruler, 
an  administrator  with  civic  problems  on  his  hands  and  a  reli- 
gious community  to  build  up  and  make  a  force  in  Arabia. 
The  community  was  frequently  almost  in  destitution  in  the 
early  days,  so  Mohammed  would  send  out  and  even  accom- 
pany foraging  expeditions,  whose  purpose  was  to  waylay 
caravans  and  secure  booty.  Our  immediate  reaction  is  that 
this  is  sorry  business  for  one  who  claims  to  be  a  prophet  of 
God.  The  hand  of  necessity  is  laid  on  him,  one  says,  but  still 
there  is  incongruity  here. 

Mohammed's  eager  desire  from  the  beginning  was  to  be 
recognized  in  his  own  city.  Stout  resistance  was  offered  for 
some  years,  but  as  time  passed  Mohammed's  prestige  rose  so 
steadily  that  the  only  thing  for  the  Meccans  to  do  was  to 
open  the  gates  of  the  city  and  let  him  in.  Mohammed 
entered  Mecca  in  triumph.  It  was  a  victory  without  blood- 
shed or  loss.  Mohammed  had  become  the  first  man  of 
Arabia. 

At  first  Mohammed  sought  an  alliance  of  friendship  with 
the  Jews,  but  it  was  not  long  before  such  a  relationship  was 
found  impossible.  Of  three  leading  Jewish  tribes  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Medina,  two  were  cruelly  banished  from  the  country 
and  the  last  had  a  more  tragic  end.  The  men  were  beheaded 
in  cold  blood  in  the  center  of  Medina,  and  the  women  and 
children  were  sold  into  slavery.  Again  it  is  said  that  these 
severe  measures  were  justified  by  the  unfriendliness  and  the 
treachery  of  the  Jews.  But  when  it  is  remembered  that  Mo- 
hammed was  posing  all  this  time  as  a  God-inspired  prophet  of 
righteousness,  the  case  grows  desperate. 

If  his  treatment  of  the  Jews  deserves  such  condemnation, 

122 


A  PROPHET  WHO  MISSED  THE  WAY    [IX-s] 

what  of  his  relation  with  women?  During  the  lifetime  of 
Khadijah,  she  was  his  one  wife  and  he  seemed  satisfied  and 
happy.  But  as  soon'  as  she  was  taken  away  from  him,  he 
married  one  woman  after  another  until  in  the  end  he  had 
about  a  dozen.  As  much«as  we  recoil  from  such  gross  polyg- 
amy, it  was  not  uncommon  in  Arabia,  and  his  Arab  followers 
might  not  have  given  the  matter  a  second  thought.  He 
found  slavery,  polygamy,  and  divorce  in  the  land  when  he 
came,  and  never  thought  of  doubting  their  right  to  continue. 
He  even  mitigated  the  condition  of  slaves  and  gave  women 
certain  legal  rights  they  had  never  possessed  before. 

But  this  is  not  the  whole  story.  We  have  many  evidences, 
both  in  the  traditions  and  in  the  Koran,  that  Mohammed 
transgressed  even  the  ideals  and  customs  of  that  lax  age, 
and  was  able  to  save  his  face  and  hold  the  admiration  of  his 
followers  by  recourse  to  the  dreadful  expedient  of  a  special 
revelation  from.  God.  His  marriage  to  the  wife  of  his 
adopted  son  Zeid,  who  divorced  her  in  order  that  she  might 
become  the  wife  of  Mohammed,  was  so  gross  an  infringe- 
ment of  the  proprieties  in  the  estimation  of  the  Arabs  that 
the  justifying -revelations  in  the  Koran  are  very  careful  to 
make  his  act  the  result  of  a  direct  command  of  God.  Only 
considerations  of  space  and  the  desire  to  draw  the  veil  as 
soon  as  possible  prevent  a  fuller  expose  of  Mohammed  in  this 
sad  and  unhappy  role. 

VH 

Such  was  Arabia's  prophet,  such  the  man  now  pointed  to  as 
a  paragon  of  excellence,  such  the  example  now  held  up  as 
worthy  of  admiration  and  imitation.  Two  events,  crucial  in 
the  character  of  Mohammed,  help  to  explain  the  strange  para- 
dox of  his  character.  One  was  the  death  of  his  wife  Khadijah. 
His  life  while  she  lived  was  exemplary,  as  far  as  we  know; 
the  debasement  of  polygamy  did  not  touch  him  during  these 
years.  As  soon  as  her  restraining  influence  was  gone  he 
began  his  downward  course.  The  other  great  event  was 
Mohammed's  assumption  of  the  powers  of  a  worldly  potentate. 

123 


[IX-s]  THE  I'AITIIS  or  MAXKIXD 

He  became  autocratic  and  vindictive.  His  character  could 
not  stand  such  an  increase  of  authority.  He  fell  from  the 
high  estate  of  a  prophet  to  the  position  of  an  unscrupulous 
despot,  seeking  by  every  means  in  his  power  to  enhance  his 
own  authority  and  suppress  all  rivals.  As  much  as  we  feel 
tlie  strange  anomaly  of  the  situation,  we  are  compelled  by 
the  facts  to  hold  that  the  Medina  period  is  vastly  different 
from  the  earlier  Meccan  period.  It  is  not  the  same  Mo- 
hammed. The  prophet  started  out  on  the  right  trail,  but  he 
had  missed  his  way.  There  is  a  possible  tragedy  in  being  a 
genius,  a  tragedy  in  being  able  to  cast  one's  spell  over  mil- 
lions of  human  beings  for  so  many  generations,  when  the 
character  of  the  genius  falls  so  far  below  the  high  standard 
which  men  should  set   for  their  leaders. 

Suggestions  for  Thought  and  Discussion 

I.  The  Prophet  in   the  Bible 

What  was  the  business  of  the  prophet  in  Old  Testament 
religion?  What  the  marks  of  a  true  prophet?  How  did  he 
differ  from  the  priest?  What  need  is  there  for  men  of 
the  prophetic  spirit  in  our  modern  life? 

II.  The  Prophet   in   Islam 

Note  well  the  important  place  held  by  Mohammed  in  his 
religion.  What  was  the  secret  of  his  influence?  Recount 
the  factors  which  he  contributed  to  make  Islam  what  it  was. 

III.  The  Prophet  as  a  Man 

Contrast  the  admirable  and  unlovely  traits  in  the  life  of 
Mohammed.  Why  did  not  his  moral  delinquency  turn  his 
followers  away  from  him?  What  about  him  kept  them 
loyal  through  all  his  inconsistencies  ?  What  conclusion  have 
you  reached  relative  to  his  sincerity? 

("Muhammad  and  His  Power,"  by  P.  DeLacy  Johnstone, 
will  serve  as  a  good  source  for  further  facts  concerning 
the  Prophet.) 

124 


CHAPTER  X 

THERE  IS  NO  GOD  BUT  ALLAH 

The  "eternal  truth"  of  the  Mohammedan  creed  is  that 
there  is  but  one  God.  Islam,  Judaism,  and  Christianity 
are  the  three  great  monotheistic  religions  of  history.  It 
might  appear  that  to  say  a  religion  is  monotheistic  is  to  say 
all  that  is  necessary  about  the  God  of  that  religion,  but  a 
study  of  Islam  will  show  that  it  is  altogether  inadequate. 
What  kind  of  a  God  do  we  take  the  one  God  of  the  universe 
to  be?  This  is  as  necessary  as  to  ask  if  he  is  the  only  God. 
So  now  we  use  the  opportunity  ofifered  to  make  a  brief  study 
of  the  kind  of  a  God  we  have  presented  to  us  in  the  Bible. 

Daily  Readings 

First  Day  :  God  is  one  and  there  is  no  other  power  in  the 
universe  to  be  compared  with  Him.  To  arrive  at  such  a 
conclusion  was  an  achievement.  Many  centuries  passed 
before  the  Hebrew  prophets  were  able  to  lift  the  people  to 
that  high  level.  Jehovah  had  long  been  their  God,  but  He  was 
their  own  and  did  not  belong  to  any  other  people.  A  curi- 
ous passage  relative  to  David  shows  how  such  a  belief  works 
out  in  practice. 

And  Saul  knew  David's  voice,  and  said,  Is  this  thy 
voice,  my  son  David?  And  David  said.  It  is  my 
voice,  my  lord,  O  king.  And  he  said.  Wherefore  doth 
my  lord  pursue  after  his  servant?  for  what  have  I 
done?  or  what  evil  is  in  my  hand?  Now  therefore, 
I  pray  thee,  let  my  lord  the  king  hear  the  words  of 
his  servant,  If  it  be  Jehovah  that  hath  stirred  thee  up 
against  me,  let  him  accept  an  offering:  but  if  it  be 
the  children  of  men,  cursed  be  they  before  Jehovah; 
for  they  have  driven  me  out  this  day  that  I  should 

125 


IX-j]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MAXKIKD 

not  cleave  unto  the  inheritance  of  Jehovah,   saying, 
Go,  serve  other  gods. — !   Sam.  26:17-19. 

David's  interpretation  of  Saul's  actions  is  that  in  driving 
him  out  of  the  land  of  Israel  he  was  sending  him  out  of  Je- 
hovah's jurisdiction  and  saying,  "Go,   serve  other  gods." 

Read  the  closing  verses  of  the  story  of  the  cleansing  of 
Xaaman  the  Syrian,  when  he  comes  back  to  offer  thanks  to 
Elisha   for  his   recovery. 

And  Xaaman  said,  If  not,  yet,  I  pray  thee,  lei:  there 
be  given  to  thy  servant  two  mules'  burden  of  earth; 
for  thy  servant  will  henceforth  offer  neither  burnt- 
offering  nor  sacrifice  unto  other  gods,  but  unto  Je- 
hovah.— II  Kings  5:17. 

"Though  Jehovah  has  revealed  -Himself  to  the  conscience 
of  Xaaman  as  the  only  genuine  God,  yet  He  can  properly  be 
worshiped    only    on    Israelitish    soil." 

Second  Day  :  When  Amos,  the  herdsman  of  Tekoa.  came 
walking  through  the  streets  of  Bethel  with  his  warning, 
"Thus  saith  Jehovah,"  a  new  note  was  to  be  heard.  The 
message  God  had  to  speak  was  not  for  Judah  and  Israel 
alone,  but  for  Damascus,  Gaza,  Tyre,  Edom,  Ammon,  and 
Moab.  Jehovah  was  God  not  of  Israel  alone,  but  of  other 
nations  as  well. 

Are  ye  not  as  the  children  of  the  Ethiopians  unto 
me,  O  children  of  Israel?  saith  Jehovah.  Have  not  I 
brought  up  Israel  out  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  and  the 
Philistines  from  Caphtor,  and  the  Syrians  from  Kir? 
Behold,  the  eyes  of  the  Lord  Jehovah  are  upon  the 
sinful  kingdom,  and  I  will  destroy  it  from  off  the 
face  of  the  earth  ;  save  that  I  will  not  utterly  destroy 
the  house  of  Jacob,  saith  Jehovah. — Amos  9:7,  8. 

Third  Day  :  In  the  later  prophets  the  thought  is  worked 
out  with  great  power  and  beauty.  The  Prophet  of  the  Exile 
returns  to  the  theme  time  and  again. 

126 


THERE  IS  NO  GOD  BUT  ALLAH  [X-4I 

Thus  saith  Jehovah,  the  King  of  Israel,  and  his 
Redeemer,  Jehovah  of  hosts :  I  am  the  first,  and  I  am 
the  last ;  and  besides  me  there  is  no  God.  And  who, 
as  I,  shall  call,  and  shall  declare  it,  and  set  it  in  order 
for  me,  since  I  established  the  ancient  people?  and 
the  things  that  are  coming,  and  that  shall  come  to 
pass,  let  them  declare.  Fear  ye  not,  neither  be  afraid : 
have  I  not  declared  unto  thee  of  old,  and  showed 
it?  and  ye  are  my  witnesses.  Is  there  a  God  besides 
me?  yea,  there  is  no  Rock;  I  know  not  any. — Isa. 
44:6-8. 

Here  is  monotheism  full-fledged  and  majestic.     There  is  no 
God  except  Jehovah. 

And  this  God  is  omnipotent,  He  holds  all  things  in  the 
hollow  of  His  hand. 

Thus  saith  God  Jehovah,  he  that  created  the 
heavens,  and  stretched  them  forth ;  he  that  spread 
abroad  the  earth  and  that  which  cometh  out  of  it; 
he  that  giveth  breath  unto  the  people  upon  it,  and 
spirit  to  them  that  walk  therein. — Isa.  42 :  5. 

I  have  made  the  earth,  and  created  man  upon  it: 
I,  even  my  hands,  have  stretched  out  the  heavens ; 
and  all  their  host  have  I  commanded. — Isa.  45 :  12. 

Fourth  Day:  God  was  not  only  great  and  powerful.  He 
had  a  distinctive  character.  He  is  first  of  all  the  Holy  One 
of   Israel. 

For  I  am  Jehovah  your  God:  sanctify  yourselves 
therefore,  and  be  ye  holy;  for  I  am  holy:  neither 
shall  ye  defile  yourselves  with  any  manner  of  creep- 
ing thing  that  moveth  upon  the  earth.  •  For  I  am 
Jehovah  that  brought  you  up  out  of  the  land  of 
Egypt,  to  be  your  God :  ye  shall  therefore  be  holy, 
for  I  am  holy. — Lev.  11 :  44,  45. 

But  Jehovah  of  hosts  is  exalted  in  justice,  and  God 
the  Holy  One  is  sanctified  in  righteousness. — Isa. 
5:16. 

127 


(X-5]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MANKIND 

God  is  just  and  righteous.  He  is  not  capricious,  He  can 
always  be  counted  on  to  be  true  to  Himself. 

He  is  also  kind  and  merciful  to  the  children  of  men.  Read 
the  whole  of  the  103rd  Psalm,  of  which  we  quote  here  a 
few  verses. 

He  hath  not  dealt  with  us  after  our  sins, 

Nor  rewarded   us  after  our  iniquities. 

For  as  the  heavens  are  high  above  the  earth. 

So  great  is  his  lovingkindness  toward  them  that  fear  him. 

As  far  as  the  east  is  from  the  west, 

So  far  hath  he  removed  our  transgressions  from  us. 

Like  as  a   father  pitieth  his  children. 

So  Jehovah  pitieth  them  that  fear  him. 

For  he  knowxth  our  frame; 

He  remembereth  that  we  are  dust. — Psalm  103:  10-14. 

Fifth  Day  :  The  great  contribution  made  by  Jesus  was  to 
show  God  as  Father.  The  103rd  Psalm  speaks  of  God  as 
being  like  a  father,  but  Jesus  filled  the  conception  with  a 
meaning  never  known  before. 

Ye  have  heard  that  it  was  said,  Thou  shalt  love 
thy  neighbor,  and  hate  thine  enemy:  but  I  say  unto 
you,  Love  your  enemies,  and  pray  for  them  that  per- 
secute you  ;  that  ye  may  be  sons  of  your  Father  who 
is  in  heaven  :  for  he  maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil 
and  the  good,  and  sendeth  rain  on  the  just  and  the 
unjust.— Matt.  5:  43-45- 

A  new  relation  of  intimacy  with  God  is  made  possible  by 
Jesus  Christ.     In  a  new  sense  men  belong  to  God's  family. 

Sixth  Day:  Every  feature  in  the  character  of  God  as  de- 
picted in  the  Old  Testament  is  emphasized  in  the  New.  He 
is  the  one  God,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  one  high  and 
lif ted-up,  who  hates  sin  and  loves  righteousness,  He  is  all- 
wise  and  merciful  and  gracious.  But  other  aspects  are 
introduced. 

128 


THERE  IS  NO  GOD  BUT  ALLAH  [X-7] 

The  God  that  made  the  world  and  all  things  therein, 
he,  being  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  dwelleth  not  in 
temples  made  with  hands ;  neither  is  he  served  by 
men's  hands,  as  though  he  needed  anything,  seeing 
he  himself  giveth  to  all  life,  and  breath,  and  all 
things;  and  he  made  of  one  every  nation  of  men  to 
dwell  on  all  the  face  of  the  earth,  having  determined 
.  their  appointed  seasons,  and  the  bounds  of  their  habi- 
tation ;  that  they  should  seek  God,  if  haply  they  might 
feel  after  him  and  find  him,  though  he  is  not  far 
from  each  one  of  us :  for  in  him  we  live,  and  move, 
and  have  our  being;  as  certain  even  of  your  own 
poets  have  said, 

For  we  are  also  his  offspring. — Acts  17 :  24-28. 

No  chasm  separates  man  from  God. 

"Closer  is  he  than  breathing, 
Nearer  than  hands  and  feet." 

We  are  made  in  His  image ;  we  live  in  Him ;  we  are  to  be 
like  Him  as  we  see  Him  in  Jesus  Christ,  for  God  is  a  Christ- 
like God. 

Seventh  Day:  The  climax  of  the  whole  revelation  is  to 
be  found  in  the  conception  of  God's  love.  Repeat  to  your- 
self the  well-known  words  of  John  3 :  16.  It  was  God's  love 
that  sent  Jesus  Christ  to  men.  Also  read  two  of  Paul's 
mighty   passages : 

But  God  commendeth  his  own  love  toward  us,  in 
that,  while  we  were  yet  sinners,  Christ  died  for  us. 
Rom.  5:8. 

Nay,  in  all  these  things  we  are  more  than  con- 
querors through  him  that  loved  us.  For  I  am  per- 
suaded, that  neither  death,  nor  life,  nor  angels,  nor 
principalities,  nor  things  present,  nor  things  to  come, 
nor  powers,  nor  height,  nor  depth,  nor  any  other 
creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  from  the  love  of 
God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  Lord. — Rom. 
8 :  37-39- 

129 


[X-s]  THE  FAITHS  Of  MANKIND 

In  Christ  God's  love  is  to  be  seen  full  and  free.  As  we 
mJKlit  expect,  we  must  go  to  the  writings  of  John  for  cer- 
tain characteristic  utterances  about  the  deeper  things  of 
God  which  are  not  to  be  found  elsewhere. 

Beloved,  let  us  love  one  another:  for  love  is  of 
God;  and  every  one  that  loveth  is  begotten  of  God, 
and  knoweth  God.  He  that  loveth  not  knoweth  not  • 
God ;  for  God  is  love.  Herein  was  the  love  of  God 
manifested  in  us,  that  God  hatli  sent  his  only  be- 
gotten Son  into  the  world  that  we  might  live  through 
him. — I  John  4  :  7-9. 

So  then.  God  not  only  loves,  He  is  Love ;  it  is  of  the  very 
essence  of  His  nature.  And  we  may  know  that  we  abide  in 
Him  if  we  possess  His  Spirit,  and  can  that  Spirit  be  any 
other  than  the  Spirit  of  Love? 

Study  for  the  Week 

I 

The  faith  of  the  Arabian  prophet  is  alert  and  aggressive.  Its 
followers  believe  in  its  divine  origin  and  in  its  destiny.  There 
must  be  something  about  the  religion  to  influence  men  in 
this  fashion,  and  we  must  try  to  discover  what  it  is. 

Take  the  case  of  a  pagan  tribe  in  the  Sudan  in  Central 
Africa — what  is  the  appeal  of  Islam  there?  In  the  very  first 
contact  with  the  Mohammedan  trader  or  teacher,  the  pagan  is 
conscious  of  his  own  inferiority.  The  Moslem  may  be 
haughty  and  overbearing,  but  this  only  heightens  the  respect 
in  which  he  is  held — such  an  attitude  is  an  evidence  of 
superior  knowledge  and  ability.  Then  the  Moslem  dresses 
in  such  a  manner  as  to  increase  his  dignity  in  the  eyes  of  the 
simple  pagans.  He  treats  with  disdain  their  religious  prac- 
tices, and  performs  his  own  religious  ceremonies  with  such 
regularity,  precision,  and  awesome  reverence  that  the  natives 
cannot  fail  to  be  impressed.  More  than  that,  the  Moslem 
stranger  is  not  so  far  removed  in  customs  and  culture  but 
that  the  pagan  can  understand  him.     The  Moslem  will  inter- 

130 


THERE  IS  NO  GOD  BUT  ALLAH  [X-s] 

marry  with  the  natives  and  thus  establish  a  strong  bond 
between  them.  He  holds  out  the  advantage  of  belonging  to 
a  community  scattered  over  the  earth  in  which  all  men  are 
brothers.  The  Moslem  lives  on  a  level  appreciably  higher 
than  the  pagan,  and  it  influences  him  greatly.  The  fact  that 
Islam  tolerates  polygamy  and  divorce  is  of  no  consequence, 
for  no  other  ideal  has  ever  entered  the  native's  mind.  He 
may  at  times  be  surprised  at  the  immorality  of  the  stranger, 
but  that  is  easily  counterbalanced  by  so  many  other  things, 
that  it  makes  little  difference  in  the  final  decision.  In  a 
short  time  the  village  is  imitating  the  Moslem  in  his  worship, 
and  reciting  the  creed  as  he  does.  They  have  made  the 
transition  and  are  Mohammedans ;  they  have  put  away  their 
pagan  ceremonies  and  pagan  deities,  and  are  worshipers  of 
Allah,  and  Allah  alone. 

Can  they  be  counted  on  to  remain  loyal  Moslems?  Usually, 
even  though  little  intelligence  may  accompany  their  worship. 
Of  one  thing  the  Moslem  missionary  is  sure,  the  second 
generation  will  be  stanch  believers,  "dyed  in  the  wool."  They 
have  an  advantage  'over  their  fathers,  they  know  far  better 
the  meaning  of  what  they  are  doing.  Now  these  people  are 
lifted  to  a  level  a  little  higher  than  the  one  they  had  occupied 
— there  can  be  no  doubt  of  that.  The  difficulty  is  that  once  on 
the  new  level  they  remain  stationary.  They  are  deaf  to  all 
appeals  made  by  Christian  missionaries,  whose  standard  is  so 
much  higher.  Instead  of  Islam  being  a  half-way  house  be- 
tween paganism  and  Christianity,  it  is  a  barrier  between  the 
two  and  increases  the  problem  of  lifting  the  backward 
Moslemized  pagan  peoples  tenfold. 

II 

What  is  there  about  the  faith  itself  which  furnishes  reli- 
gious satisfaction  to  its  followers?  One  thing  must  be 
emphasized,  that  there  is  nothing  which  calls  for  privation 
or  sacrifice.  Mohammed  knew  human  nature  well  and  ac- 
commodated his  teaching  to  the  weaknesses  as  well  as  to  the 
aspirations  of  mankind. 

131 


[X-s]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MANKIXD 

The  practice  of  Islam  rests  on  what  are  called  the  five 
Pillars  of  the  Faith.  We  must  know  what  they  are  if  we 
would  understand  what  being  a  Moslem  day  by  day  means. 

1.  The  repetition  of  the  creed,  "There  is  no  God  but  Allah, 
and  Mohammed  is  the  prophet  of  Allah."  This  is  repeated 
times  without  number  each  day  by  every  Mohammedan.  It 
is  a  part  of  the  call  of  the  Muezzin  as  he  announces  the  hours 
of  worship.  It  is  the  test  of  loyalty,  and  furnishes  a  signi- 
ficant declaration  of  a  man's  conversion  to  the  faith.  If  he 
asserts  that  he  believes  there  is  no  God  but  Allah  and  that 
Mohammed  is  his  prophet,  he  thereby  proclaims  himself  a 
Mohammedan.  No  questions  are  asked  as  to  his  intentions 
or  sincerity — he  is  a  Moslem  and  a  member  of  the  brother- 
hood. 

2.  Prayer,  at  five  stated  times  each  day,  as  well  as  at  any 
other  times  when  need  arises.  These  five  prayers  are  defi- 
nitely prescribed  and  are  one  of  the  chief  outward  marks  of 
the  religion.  They  occur  as  follows:  the  first  just  before 
sunrise,  the  second  at  high  noon,  the  third  in  what  we  would 
call  mid-afternoon,  the  fourth  just  after  sunset,  and  the 
fifth  soon  after  night  has  closed.  All  in  sound  of  the 
Muezzin's  voice  are  summoned  at  the  appropriate  times ; 
others  far  out  in  the  desert  determine  the  times  for  them- 
selves by  simple  rules  which  people  who  carry  no  timepieces 
know  so  well.  At  each  of  the  five  times,  a  form  of  worship 
is  carried  out,  a  ceremony  fixed  with  great  care  by  the 
prophet  himself.  A  prayer  rug  or  mat  is  spread  on  the 
ground  and,  turning  toward  Mecca,  each  worshiper  proceeds 
to  bow  himself  low  before  Allah  and  to  utter  the  prescribed 
prayers.  The  actual  prayer  is  always  preceded  by  the  most 
careful  ablution,  with  water  usually,  but  with  clean  desert 
sand  if  no  water  is  to  be  had.  The  whole  ceremony  can  be 
learned  easily,  though  it  would  be  difficult  to  describe  it 
accurately. 

Who  can  say  that  the  constant  practice  of  these  daily 
prayers  has  not  done  as  much  to  preserve  Islam  intact  as  any 
other  single  thing?     Moslems  not  only  believe  in  their  reli- 

132 


THERE  IS  NO  GOD  BUT  ALLAH  [X-s] 

gion,  they  act  it  out  in  prostration  and  prayer  five  times  each 
day,  without  fail  and  without  any  deviation.  The  effect  is 
heightened  when  all  together  in  the  mosque,  led  by  a  prayer 
leader,  arranged  in  long  regular  rows,  go  through  the  cere- 
mony with  the  precision  of  a  West  Point  dress  parade.  Yes, 
formality  and  mechanical  ritualism  to  be  sure — that  is  our 
criticism  thousands  of  miles  removed  from  the  actual  facts. 
The  impression  made  on  the  careful  observer  is  that  real  awe 
and  reverence  characterize  the  proceeding.  At  the  conclusion 
of  the  service  the  worshipers  slip  away  in  solemn  hush.  Allah 
is  a  reality  to  them — no  one  can  doubt  that  who  has  seen 
them  pray. 

Closely  connected  with  prayer  in  Islam  is  the  use  made  of 
the  Koran.  The  Moslem  now  believes  that  the  Koran  was 
handed  down  to  Mohammed  as  need  arose,  but  that  it  is 
really  eternal.  They  assert  that  it  is  uncreated  and  has 
always  existed  as  a  finished  product  at  the  right  hand  of 
Allah.  Can  any  theory  of  inspiration  be  more  drastic  than 
this?  The  Sacred  Book  is  read  and  recited  with  great  dili- 
gence and  very  frequently.  To  quote  from  an  article  by 
Theodore  Noldeke,  "And  since  the  use  of  the  Koran  in  public 
worship,  in  schools,  and  otherwise  is  much  more  extensive 
than,  for  example,  the  reading  of  the  Bible  in  most  Christian 
countries,  it  has  been  truly  described  as  the  most  widely- 
read  book  in  existence."  How  does  that  statement  sound  in 
our  ears? 

And  what  is  this  Koran,  this  book  of  Mohammed  which 
dominates  the  minds  of  so  many  human  beings?  With  all 
we  may  say  of  its  poetic  beauty  in  the  earlier  Suras,  and  of 
the  blazing  denunciations  of  any  conception  save  that  of 
God's  absolute  unity ;  despite  its  rhythmic  flow  in  the  original, 
the  book  is  to  us  rather  dull  reading.  Carlyle,  not  without  a 
touch  of  exaggeration,  wrote  of  it:  "I  must  say,  it  is  as 
toilsome  reading  as  I  ever  undertook.  .  .  .  Nothing  but 
a  sense  of  duty  could  carry  any  European  through."  About 
the  length  of  our  New  Testament,  written  in  Arabic,  the 
"Language    of    the   Angels,"    it    is    not   to    be    desecrated   by 

133 


[X-s]  THE  J'.II'JJJS  Of  MANKIND 

translation  into  profane  tongues.  Composed  with  a  rhythmic 
swing,  and  regarded  as  the  standard  of  all  literary  excel- 
lence, the  Koran  binds  together  the  whole  Moslem  world  in 
language  as  well  as  in  religion. 

3.  Almsgiving.  Mohammed  never  ceased  to  inculcate  the 
duty  of  succoring  the  poor,  especially  the  orphan  and  the 
widow.  In  the  early  days,  when  in  the  Moslem  world  church 
and  state  were  one.  the  matter  of  charity  was  carefully  regu- 
lated and  was  placed  in  the  care  of  state  officials.  Now  that 
most  ^loslems  are  under  the  government  of  Christian  powers, 
almsgiving  has  become  of  necessity  a  matter  of  the  individual 
conscience,  yet  faithful  Moslems  continue  the  practice  of 
relieving  want  and  suffering  as  opportunity  offers. 

4.  Fasting,  particularly  during  the  month  of  Ramadan. 
The  regulation  is  that  not  a  drop  of  water  or  a  particle  of 
food  shall  pass  the  lips  of  a  Mohammedan  during  the  day- 
time throughout  this  month.  Of  course,  exception  is  made 
for  sick  people  and  those  who  may  be  in  a  battle  or  military 
campaign.  Not  a  thing  must  be  taken  after  the  time  when 
one  can  distinguish  a  white  thread  from  a  black  by  daylight. 
Such  is  the  regulation  and  so  it  is  observed.  Observed? 
Yes,  in  the  letter,  but  surely  not  in  the  spirit,  by  hosts  of 
Moslems.  They  make  this  month  the  greatest  month  of 
feasting  and  revelling  in  the  whole  year — fasting  all  day 
and  feasting  all  night — so  that  in  Persia  medical  missionaries 
assert  that  they  have  more  cases  of  indigestion  and  kindred 
troubles  to  deal  with  in  Ramadan  than  at  any  other  time! 

5.  Pilgrimage  to  Mecca,  called  the  Hajj.  Once  in  his  life- 
time every  Mohammedan  is  supposed  to  make  the  pilgrimage 
to  the  Holy  City,  Mecca,  and  also  to  Medina,  the  City  of  the 
Prophet.  It  is  not  an  absolutely  binding  rule,  and  many  of 
course  do  not  go ;  but  it  is  the  ambition  of  everyone  to  be 
able  some  day  to  make  the  pilgrimage.  He  is  honored  when 
he  comes  back  and  is  called  a  Haji,  one  who  has  made  the  pil- 
grimage. Mecca  and  the  pilgrimage  stand  for  the  unity  of 
Islam.  There  a  Moslem  from  China,  for  example,  mingks 
with    his    fellow-Moslems    from    the    west    coast   of    Africa. 

134 


THERE  IS  NO  GOD  BUT  ALLAH  [X-s] 

This  experience  is  to  him  the  symbol  of  the  unity  of  the 
Brotherhood.  It  is  real  to  him,  has  he  not  seen  it  with  his 
own  eyes? 

Ill 

And  now  let  us  penetrate  a  little  deeper.  We  have  taken 
a  look  at  the  outward  observances  of  the  religion,  let  us  see 
what  a  Mohammedan  believes.  Again  we  revert  to  the  creed, 
"There  is  no  God  but  Allah."  Here  is  the  core  of  the  teach- 
ing— the  doctrine  of  God  fills  about  nine-tenths  of  all  their 
Moslem  theological  systems.  And  the  first  thing  to  say 
about  Allah  is  that  he  is  the  only  God,  the  sole  creator  and 
sustainer  of  the  universe.  Here  is  monotheism  as  clear  and 
as  uncompromising  as  in  Judaism  or  in  Christianity.  The 
unity  of  God  makes  the  religion  universal,  for  there  is  but 
one  God  and  he  is  the  God  of  all.  The  hope  filling  the  breast 
of  every  Mohammedan  is  that  his  religion  may  extend  farther 
and  farther  until  it  has  become  the  religion  of  mankind. 
Coming  as  he  did  six  centuries  after  Jesus  Christ,  Mohammed 
is  the  last  of  the  prophets,  the  consummation  of  a  religious 
development  in  which  Jesus  played  an  important  though 
subordinate  part. 

Allah,  this  one  God  of  the  universe,  is  almighty.  Nothing 
can  withstand  his  power ;  he  can  do  what  he  will.  No  re- 
straint of  any  kind  is  to  be  thought  of.  This  leads  to  two 
practical  results.  One  is  the  fatalism  which  dominates  the 
thinking  of  the  Mohammedan  world.  There  can  be  no 
question  that  Alohammed  himself  held  to  at  least  a  certain 
amount  of  freewill  in  man,  and  at  the  same  time  to  the 
irresistibility  of  God's  eternal  decrees.  This  is  not  hard  to 
understand  when  we  remember  that  he  was  no  theologian  and 
was  incapable  of  forming  a  system  of  thought.  He  simply 
spoke  out  what  was  in  his  mind  at  the  time,  and  did  not 
trouble  himself  about  inconsistencies,  even  if  he  saw  them. 
But  as  the  Koran  advances,  determinism  becomes  more  and 
more  evident.  This  trend  became  distinctive  of  Islam  and  is 
now   well-nigh   universal.     Man   is   in   the  hands   of   an   Al- 

135 


[X-s]  THE  l-AITUS  Ol-  MANKIND 

mighty  Power  who  can  do  with  him  as  he  wills.  Man's  part 
is  to  submit  in  humble  acceptance  of  all  that  comes.  Hence 
Islam  became  the  name  of  the  religion — it  is  submission  to 
the  almighty  will  of  Allah,  who  determines  all  things, 
even  down  to  the  most  insignificant  details.  Like  a  pall  the 
thick  cloud  of  fatalism  hangs  over  the  Islamic  world,  making 
moral  enthusiasm  impossible  and  cutting  the  nerve  of  spiritual 
aspiration. 

The  other  result  which  flows  from  the  doctrine  of  God's 
unlimited  power  is  that  Allah's  almightiness  is  capricious. 
He  does  what  he  will,  uncontrolled  by  any  other  influence. 
Righteousness  and  love  do  not  determine  the  direction  Allah's 
will  should  take.  That  would  be  to  limit  him,  and  even  though 
it  is  an  inner  limitation,  one  in  his  own  nature,  the  Moham- 
medan will  have  none  of  it.  What  has  really  happened  is 
that,  without  realizing  it,  Islam  has  transferred  a  typical, 
irresponsible  Eastern  potentate  to  the  heavens,  endowed  him 
with  irresistible  power,  and  called  him  God.  So  high  is 
Allah  above  all  his  creation,  so  unique  and  unapproachable, 
that  a  great  chasm  separates  him  even  from  man,  the  highest 
of  his  creatures.  To  say  that  man  is  created  in  the  image 
of  God  is  blasphemy  to  a  Moslem.  That  were  to  drag  God 
down  to  man's  level,  and  that  is  too  dreadful  to  contemplate. 
Man  must  be  kept  entirely  separate  from  God,  not  a  child 
and  an  heir  of  his  glory,  but  only  a  slave  whose  duty  is  un- 
questioning obedience.  Man  is  not  spiritual  as  God  is ;  he 
is  carnal  and  carnal  must  he  always  remain.  Everything  in 
the  teaching  is  made  to  suit  this  conception.  If  he  be  carnal, 
man  can  never  hope  to  share  the  divine  nature.  All  he  has 
to  do  is  to  obey  God  and  as  a  reward  of  his  obedience  will 
be  allowed  to  enter  paradise,  a  paradise  devised  to  give  him 
the  sensuous  and  sensual  gratifications  which  he  desired  on 
earth  and  which  are  the  only  kind  he  is  capable  of  under- 
standing. Islam  is  surely  a  religion  of  the  natural  man,  unre- 
lieved by  any  lofty  spiritual  idealism. 

And  yet,  with  these  palpable  weaknesses,  Islam  continues 
to  lead  men  spellbound  through  their  lives.     They  see  none 

136 


THERE  IS  NO  COD  BUT  ALLAH  [X-s] 

of  these  things  as  defects,  and  actually  turn  on  Christianity 
and  point  the  finger  of  scorn  at  a  doctrine  of  God  which  they 
look  upon  as  far  inferior.  Like  the  blazing  sun  in  the  desert 
wastes  of  Arabia,  so  Allah,  the  divine  Sun  in  the  heavens, 
blinds  men  to  all  else.  He  is  all  powerful;  they  care  little 
about  other  things,  provided  he  is  allowed  to  remain  in  the 
heavens  alone,  with  all  power  and  dominion  as  his  exclusive 
possession. 

IV 

But  no  men,  even  Moslems,  can  be  confined  within  the 
compass  of  a  doctrine,  if  the  limits  are  too  narrow  for  an 
expanding  spiritual  life.  Such  is  the  case  in  the  religion  of 
the  Prophet.  The  real  spiritual  life  of  the  religion  is  to  be 
found  among  the  mystics,  who  are  organized  in  what  are 
called  Darvish  orders.  They  are  widely  scattered  in  the 
Mohammedan  world.  This  mystic  longing  is  an  expression  of 
the  desire  to  experience  union  with  God,  and  all  the  exercises 
are  calculated  to  produce  that  efifect.  Thus  the  human  heart 
is  seen  to  repudiate  the  cleavage  between  God  and  man  which 
the  Moslem  orthodox  theologians  have  asserted  so  vehe- 
mently. Great  saints  have  arisen  in  Islam  who  know  that  they 
have  had  communion  with  God,  and  their  memory  is  highly 
venerated  and  their  graves  visited  by  large  companies  of 
people.  This  phase  of  Islam  is  the  key  to  understand  the 
inner  meaning  of  the  religion  and  its  vitality,  for  here  there 
is  life  and  the  possibility  of  progress. 

V 

Islam  is  in  a  serious  plight.  She  is  tied  fast  to  an  obsolete 
theory  of  the  universe,  to  religious  customs  and  teachings 
which  refuse  to  fit  into  the  modern  view  of  the  world,  to  a 
book  whose  claims  to  originality  cannot  be  substantiated,  and 
to  a  character,  the  great  prophet  himself,  who  was  only  a 
man  and  whose  deeds  and  ideals  cannot  be  defended  in  a 
world  of  growing  moral  convictions.  Add  to  this  the  pres- 
ence  of   slavery   and   the   sanction    of   polygamy   and    almost 

137 


[X-s]      -  THE  FAITHS  OP  MAXKIXD 

unlimited  divorce,  which  still  obtain  in  all  Moslem  commu- 
nities, and  the  burden  must  prove  unbearable.  Think  of  the 
indictment  against  Mohammed,  who,  because  of  his  ungov- 
ernable jealousy,  caused  his  own  and  all  wives  in  Islam  to  be 
secluded  in  their  own  homes  and  behind  a  veil  when  they 
appeared  on  the  streets.  Women  in  Islam  must  live  in  an- 
other world  from  the  men.  All  advantages  are  denied  them ; 
they  live  for  their  husbands  and  have  little  or  no  value  as 
human  beings  fit  for  noble  lives  and  companionships. 

Cannot  Islam  change?  Can  she  not  throw  off  the  weight 
of  tradition  and  emerge  into  the  light  of  modern  day?  It  is 
a  real  question,  which  many  have  answered  with  a  decided 
negative.  A  reformed  Islam  is  no  longer  Islam,  they  say. 
But  the  fact  is,  Islam  has  changed  much  in  the  past  and 
will  doubtless  do  so  in  the  future.  Savings-banks  are  in 
direct  opposition  to  the  Koran,  which  forbids  all  interest  on 
money,  and  life  insurance  is  blasphemy  in  that  it  presumes 
to  plan  for  the  future,  which  should  be  left  entirely  in  God's 
hands;  yet  savings-banks  and  life  insurance  are  both  making 
headway  among  the  more  progressive  Mohammedans. 
Nothing  can  retard  the  march  of  events,  not  even  religious 
conservatism,  when  men  begin  to  desire  better  things.  And 
men  are  beginning  to  feel  new  desires  and  are  seeking  to 
accommodate  their  theories  to  them.  What  the  end  will  be 
no  one  can  say,  but  Islam  will  not  continue  the  same.  But  can 
Islam  ever  come  to  her  own  religiously  with  Mohammed  in 
the  lead?  That  is  a  question  the  Moslems  must  settle.  In 
the  meantime  we  who  have  Jesus  Christ,  have  we  any  duty  ? 
That  is  a  question  we  must  settle. 

Suggestions  for  Thought  and  Discussion 

I.     What  Kind  of  God  Have  Wc? 

What  were  the  early  ideas  of  the  Hebrews  about  God? 
How   do  .they   differ    from   complete   monotheism?     What 
did  Jesus  add  to  the  old  conception  of  God?    What  are  the 
most  important  elements  in  God's  character? 
138 


THERE  IS  NO  GOD  BUT  ALLAH  [X-s] 

II.  Islam  as  a   World  Force 

What  is  the  secret  of  Islam's  ability  to  make  converts 
today?  What  does  Islam  do  with  a  people  when  it  has 
secured  their  allegiance?  What  is  your  judgment  of  Islam 
when  compared  with  your  ideas  of  what  a  religion  should 
be? 

III.  Islain  in  Theory  and  Practice 

Keep  in  mind  the  "five  pillars"  of  the  faith.  What  is 
good  and  what  questionable  in  each?  In  what  respects 
does  the  Allah  of  Islam  differ  from  the  Father-God  of 
Christianity?  What  connection  is  there  between  the  fatal- 
ism of  Islam  and  the  freedom  of  Christianity  and  the 
conceptions  of  God  on  which  they  rest? 

("Aspects  of  Islam,"  by  Dr.  D.  B.  Macdonald,  may  well  be 
used  in  connection  with  this  chapter.) 


139 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  DREAM  OF  RELIGION  GOME  TRUE 

After  our  study  of  some  of  the  living  religions  of  man- 
kind we  come  in  the  end  to  our  own  faith,  Christianity. 
It  is  not  at  all  strange  if,  in  our  admiration,  we  feel  that 
in  Christianity  the  dreams  men  have  had  of  what  religion 
might  do  have  actually  come  true.  What  we  should  do  in 
these  last  studies  is  to  apply  ourselves  to  discover  what  right 
we  have  to  make  such  high  claims.  What  does  Christianity 
offer  to  men  in  seeking  their  allegiance?  What  may  a  man 
expect  in  his  own  life  when  he  comes  to  Christianity  and 
seeks  its  help?  In  all  frankness,  is  our  confidence  in  Chris- 
tianity justified? 

Daily  Readings 

First  Day  :  Is  there  anything  more  in  a  man  than  we  see 
when  we  meet  him  on  the  street? 

And  God  said,  Let  us  make  man  in  our  image,  after 
our  likeness.  .  .  .  And  God  created  man  in  his 
own  image,  in  the  image  of  God  created  he  him. — 
Gen.  1 :  26,  2-7 . 

Made  in  God's  own  image ;  animated  with  God's  own 
"breath  of  life,"  as  we  are  told  in  the  more  picturesque  ac- 
count in  the  second  chapter  of  Genesis ;  given  dominion  over 
all  creatures;  and  having  it  said  of  him,  as  of  all  other  parts 
of  creation,  that  he  was  "good" — surely  man  had  an  envi- 
able origin  and  an  ideal  relation  to  God,  as  these  ancient 
records  maintain.  What  do  you  think  is  meant  by  being  made 
in  the  image  of  God?  How  far  do  you  think  man  can 
lose  or  has  lost  this  stamp  of  the  divine  nature? 

140 


DREAM  OF  RELIGION  COME  TRUE      [XI-2] 

Second  Day  :  But  as  we  see  men  daj^  by  day,  something  is 
surely  the  matter.  Man  is  out  of  joint  with  himself,  with  his 
fellows,  and  with  God.  The  Bible  is  full  of  references  to 
man's  pitiable  condition. 

There  is  none  righteous,  no,  not  one ; 

There  is  none  that  understandeth, 

There  is  none  that  seeketh  after  God; 

They  have  all  turned  aside,  they  are  together  be- 
come  unprofitable ; 

There  is  none  that  doeth  good,  no,  not  so  much  as 
one. — Rom.  3  :  10-12. 

The  indictment  is  very  severe — is  it  too  severe?  What 
would  you  say  is  man's  malady?  Recall  the  answer  as  stated 
in  the  form  of  a  vivid  story  in  the  third  chapter  of  Genesis, 
where  the  first  temptation  was  to  be  disobedient  to  God. 

Third  Day  :  Yet  with  all  this,  man  possesses  dignity  and 
is  prized  as  worthy  of  honor.     He  is  still  a  child  of  God. 

When  I  consider  thy  heavens,  the  work  of  thy  fingers. 

The  moon  and  the  stars,  which  thou  hast  ordained; 

What  is  man,  that  thou  art  mindful  of  him? 

And  the  son  of  man,  that  thou  visitest  him? 

For  thou  hast  made  him  but  little  lower  than  God, 

And  crownest  him  with  glory  and  honor. — Psalm  8 :  2)-6. 

With  all  his  weakness  and  disability,  man  is  related  to  God 
in  a  unique  manner.  What  do  you  think  is  necessary  to  turn 
his  possibilities  into  realities? 

Fourth  Day:  There  was  a  word  Jesus  used,  one  of  the 
most  wonderful  in  His  whole  vocabulary,  the  word  "forgive- 
ness." It  was  wonderful  because  it  gathered  up  into  itself 
so  many  great  ideas,  that  of  God's  sorrow  because  of  man's 
sin,  of  His  love  for  the  one  who  had  gone  wrong,  of  His 
purpose  to  bring  the  sinner  back  to  Himself.  We  recall  the 
scene  of  the  boy's  return  home: 

141 


lXI-5]  TUB  1-AlTHS  Of  MANKIND 

And  he  arose,  and  came  to  his  father.  But  while  he 
was  yet  alar  off,  his  lather  saw  him,  and  was  moved 
with  compassion,  and  ran,  and  fell  on  his  neck,  and 
kissed  him.  And  the  son  said  unto  him.  Father,  I 
have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  in  thy  sight :  I  am 
no  more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son.  But  the  father 
said  to  his  servants,  Bring  forth  quickly  the  best 
robe,  and  put  it  on  him ;  and  put  a  ring  on  his  hand, 
and  shoes  on  his  feet:  and  bring  the  fatted  calf,  and 
kill  it,  and  let  us  eat,  and  make  merry :  for  this  my 
son  was  dead,  and  is  alive  again ;  he  was  lost,  and  is 
found. — Luke  15  :  20-24. 

One  of  the  things  this  story  teaches  is  that  God  is  anxious, 
more  anxious  than  we  can  tell,  to  reestablish  the  old  rela- 
tions of  confidence  and  trust  which  had  been  broken,  and 
that  is  what  is  meant  by  forgiveness.  Christianity  then, 
according  to  Jesus,  is  primarily  a  religion  of  restored  rela- 
tionships. 

Fifth  Day:  Paul's  letters  are  full  of  this  same  subject, 
forgiveness. 

Being  therefore  justified  by  faith,  we  have  peace 
with  God  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ;  through 
whom  also  we  have  had  our  access  by  faith  into  this 
grace  wherein  we  stand;  and  we  rejoice  in  hope  of 
the  glory  of  God. — Rom.  5:1,2. 

"Justification"  is  a  legal  word  and  as  such  is  liable  to  mis- 
understanding, but  what  Paul  had  in  mind  was  such  a  change 
of  relationship  between  God  and  man  that  man  could  feel 
free  to  go  to  God"  as  a  child  goes  to  a  parent.  So  remark- 
able was  the  change  in  a  man  who  had  entered  into  this  re- 
lationship that  to  Paul  all  idea  of  patching  up  an  old  thing 
to  "make  it  do"  was  excluded — the  man  who  had  been 
changed  was  like  a  new  creature. 

Wherefore  if  any  man   is  in   Christ,  he   is  a  new 
creature:    the   old   things   are   passed   away;   behold, 
they  are  become  new. — II  Cor.  5 :  17. 
142 


DREAM  OF  RELIGION  COME  TRUE      [Xl-6] 

Sixth  Day:  Man's  moral  life  has  been  covered  with 
blotches.  He  hates  the  thought,  and  wants  to  be  able  to  live 
honorably  and  purely.     What  are  his  prospects? 

But  I  say,  Walk  by  the  Spirit,  and  ye  shall  not  ful- 
fil the  lust  of  the  flesh.  For  the  flesh  lusteth  against 
the  Spirit,  and  the  Spirit  against  the  flesh;  for  these 
are  contrary  the  one  to  the  other ;  that  ye  may  not  do 
the  things  that  ye  would.  .  .  .  And  they  that  are 
of  Christ  Jesus  have  crucified  the  flesh  with  the  pas- 
sions and  the  lusts  thereof. — Gal.  5 :  16,  17,  24. 

A  new  spirit  possesses  a  man.  Yes,  but  more  than  that  is 
true— an  influence  from  the  outside,  yet  acting  upon  him  in- 
visibly and .  from  the  inside,  makes  certain  things  possible 
which  otherwise  he  could  not  do  at  all.  It  is  very  plain, 
too,  that  he  cannot  lie  down  and  take  it  easy.  In  every  pas- 
sage where  the  moral  life  is  mentioned,  the  necessity  of  man's 
doing  his  part  is  shown.  But  when  a  man  is  honestly  doing 
his  part,  his  confidence  may  be  complete. 

Seventh  Day  :  Man's  life  lasts  so  short  a  time  here  below 
that  inevitably  he  peers  out  into  the  future  to  discover,  if  pos- 
sible, what  is  in  store  for  him.  He  needs  two  things,  the  as- 
surance of  immortality  and  an  immortality  of  such  a  kind  as 
shall  prove  worthy  of  his  highest  ideals  here  in  this  life. 
We  are  told  that  it  was  Jesus  Christ  who  "brought  life  and 
immortality  to  light  through  the  gospel"  (II  Tim.  1:10),  so 
that  for  a  Christian  all  the  assurance  he  needs  is  in  his  Lord. 

And  I  saw  a  new  heaven  and  a  new  earth:  for  the 
first  heaven  and  the  first  earth  are  passed  away.  .  .  . 
And  I  heard  a  great  voice  out  of  the  throne  saying, 
Behold,  the  tabernacle  of  God  is  with  men,  and  he 
shall  dwell  with  them,  and  they  shaU  be  his  peoples, 
and  God  himself  shall  be  with  them,  and  be  their  God: 
and  he  shall  wipe  away  every  tear  from  their  eyes ; 
and  death  shall  be  no  more;  neither  shall  there  be 
mourning,  nor  crying,  nor  pain,  any  more :  the  first 
things  are  passed  away.     And  he  that  sitteth  on  the 

143 


[XI-s]  THE  FAITHS  01-  MASKIXD 

throne  said,  Behold,  I  make  all  things  new.  .  .  .  He 
that  overcometh  shall  inherit  these  things ;  and  I  will 
be  his  God,  and  he  shall  be  my  son.  But  for  the 
fearful,  and  unbelieving,  and  abominable,  and  mur- 
derers, and  fornicators,  and  sorcerers,  and  idolaters, 
and  all  liars,  their  part  shall  be  in  the  lake  that  burn- 
eth  with  fire  and  brimstone;  which  is  the  second 
death.— Rev.  21 :  i,  3-5,  7,  8. 

Sum  up  the  characteristics  of  the  life  in  the  new  Jeru- 
salem, the  City  of  God.  Who  is  to  inherit  all  these  things 
and  enter  into  these  relationships?  We  shudder  at  the 
thought  of  the  cleavage,  but  what  an  inestimable  boon  it  is 
to  know  that  all  which  in  any  way  would  debase  and  degrade 
is  conspicuous  by  its  absence  in  that  life.  Only  "new  crea- 
tures" could  enter  into  and  appreciate  such  a  world,  and  all 
that  is  there  will  be  worthy  of  their  highest  and  purest 
dreams.  Only  then  will  man  come  to  his  own.  The  secret 
of  the  blessedness  of  the  coming  experience  is  that  Jesus 
Christ  will  be  there,  and  in  Him  we  shall  have  all. 

Study  for  the  Week 

I 

We  have  found  the  men  of  every  nation  religious.  A 
universal  craving  after  God  makes  some  kind  of  religion 
imperative.  Our  object  has  been  to  exhibit  the  various  reli- 
gions in  such  a  way  that  the  sincere  yearning  of  men  for  God 
might  be  seen  in  its  true  light.  In  the  course  of  our  wander- 
ings much  truth  has  been  encountered  as  well  as  error.  And 
truth  is  always  truth,  wherever  found  and  by  whomsoever 
proclaimed.  It  makes  no  difference  how  much  of  the  false  is 
mingled  with  it,  it  is  God's  truth  nevertheless,  and  is  to 
be  cherished  and  appropriated  as  a  priceless  possession. 

If  there  be  truth  fti  all  the  religions  and  if  it  is  our  duty 
to  acknowledge  truth  wherever  found,  why  is  not  an  eclectic 
faith  the  only  religion  a  truth-loving  man  can  make  his 
own?  Why  is  he  not  in  duty  bound  to  pick  out  all  the  good 
points    in    all    the    religions    he    knows    anything    about    and 

144 


DREAM  OF  RELIGION  COME  TRUE      [XI-s] 

formulate  a  statement  which  will  embrace  them  all?  In  what 
other  way  can  he  win  the  reputation  of  being  candid  and 
fair-minded?  Is  not  the  acceptance  of  a  single  and  more  or 
less  exclusive  faith  the  stark  repudiation  of  his  sense  of 
justice   and   broad-mindedness? 

If  religion  were  a  matter  of  beliefs  only,  much  could  be 
said  for  this  view.  But  let  us  look  at  religion  more  closely. 
Is  it  a  matter  of  the  head  only?  Is  it  even  primarily  intellect- 
ual ?  Some  have  thought  so  and  have  acted  as  though  all  that 
was  necessary  had  been  done  when  coherent  beliefs  ar- 
ranged in  systematic  order  had  been  presented.  But  religion 
must  carry  the  whole  personality  or  not  be  adequate  to  meet 
the  demands  made  upon  it.  To  embrace  a  religion  is  not 
primarily  to  believe  certain  things  or  to  act  in  such  and  such 
a  way,  though  both  are  essential.  The  first  thing  in  religion 
is  devotion,  surrender,  putting  our  trust  in  God.  Of  course 
there  are  beliefs  on  which  this  trust  is  built  and  practices 
which  grow  out  of  such  a  faith,  but  in  essence  religion  is  a 
matter  of  personal  relationships. 

A  most  excellent  illustration  is  to  be  found  in  our  Chris- 
tian view  of  marriage  and  family  life.  The  promise  a  man 
makes  is  exceedingly  exclusive,  "forsaking  all  other,  keep 
thee  only  unto  her,  so  long  as  ye  both  shall  live" — exclusive 
to  be  sure,  but  essential  if  the  heart  is  to  find  rest  and  peace. 
It  is  a  condition  of  happiness  found  in  the  very  structure  o£ 
the  human  heart.  The  analogy  with  religion  is  almost  exact. 
The  human  heart  wants  rest  and  peace,  it  is  seeking  an  alle- 
giance, it  desires  to  trust,  it  is  looking  for  a  worthy  being" 
in  whom  to  repose  confidence.  A  religion  in  its  central  alle- 
giance must  be  to  a  certain  extent  exclusive,  because  the 
human  personality  is  built  that  way.  Augustine's  famous 
saying  is  quite  to  the  point,  "Thou  hast  made  us  for  Thy- 
self, and  our  heart  is  restless  until  it  rests  in  Thee." 

But  when  this  central  point  is  seen  and  our  confidence 
fixed,  there  is  no  limit  to  our  right  and  duty  to  discover  and 
appreciate  every  good  thing  in  every  religion  and  use  it  as  a 
gift    from    God    Himself.      Our    own    conceptions    will   grow 

145 


[XI-s]  Tlili  1  AITIIS  OF  MANKIND 

richer  and  our  moral  perceptions  sharper  by  the  discovery  of 
what  to  us  might  otherwise  be  hidden  or  dimly  seen.  God 
speaks  in  manifold  ways.  There  is  no  contradiction  in  hold- 
ing that  in  Christ  "are  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and 
knowledge  hidden"  (Col.  2:2,).  It  were  a  pity  if  the  wisdom 
liidden  in  Christ  was  not  so  many-sided  and  ample  that  each 
race  did  not  possess  some  element  of  it  not  discovered  by 
others. 

II 

Christianity  has  a  method  of  salvation  which  is  possible  of 
attainment.  To  make  such  a  claim  becomes  all  the  more  sur- 
prising when  what  is  meant  by  salvation  in  Christianity  is 
understood.  It  is  far  more  than  to  be  assured  that  certain 
consequences  of  our  wrongdoings  are  abrogated.  It  is  a 
sense  of  having  found  God  and  of  having  Him  as  our  great 
Friend,  on  whom  we  may  count  for  all  we  need.  We  were 
lost  and  could  not  find  our  way,  but  now  the  path  is  clear  and 
we  walk  in  it,  and  peace  and  gladness  are  ours.  A  very  great 
change  has  taken  place — a  sense  of  trust  in  God  has  changed 
our  whole  relation  to  others.  Our  confidence  is  such  that 
nothing  present  or  in  the  future,  in  this  life  or  the  other,  up- 
sets us  so  that  we  cannot  recover  ourselves.  The  experience 
may  be  vivid  or  it  may  be  in  the  softer  colors — the  important 
thing  is  that  we  are  possessed  of  an  assurance  that  things  are 
right,  and  that  we  have  good  reason  for  this  conclusion. 

Running  over  the  religions  of  the  world,  we  find  that  all 
have  some  idea  of  salvation  and  all  teach  some  method  of 
attaining  it.  Of  what  good  were  religion  if  it  did  not  claim 
to  save?  Now  when  all  the  schemes  of  salvation  have  been 
collected  and  are  compared,  they  are  seen  to  fall  into  two 
great  classes.  That  is,  in  principle  there  are  just  two  con- 
ceivable methods  of  securing  salvation :  one  is  to  win  it  for 
oneself  and  the  other  is  to  receive  it  as  a  gift. 

Sitting  on  beds  of  spikes,  attempting  to  keep  without  in- 
fringement a  set  of  moral  rules,  trying  to  throttle  one's  in- 
clinations and  desires,  losing  one's  self  in  absorbed  contempla- 

146 


DREAM  OF  RELIGION  COME  TRUE       [XI-s] 

tion,  have  all  been  used  and  are  now  in  use  to  bring  peace, 
to  win  the  approval  of  God.  Failure  is  written  large  over 
every  one  of  these  attempts.  Something  is  always  lacking. 
Our  resolution  breaks  down  somewhere  and  we  are  undone. 
Christianity  proclaims  salvation  as  the  free  gift  of  God. 
The  condition  of  its  coming  is  that  we  shall  want  it  and  want 
it  sufficiently  to  ask  for  it  and  trust  God  that  it  is  ours.  We 
call  it  faith;  it  means  taking  a  certain  risk,  that  God  does 
actually  do  what  He  has  promised,  and  then  acting  accord- 
ingly. Faith  means  devotion ;  a  giving  of  oneself  up  to  an- 
other, in  this  case  to  Jesus  Christ.  We  call  him  Saviour  be- 
cause we  are  saved  from  our  lower  selves,  from  our  fears, 
from  the  things  which  destroy,  and  we  are  alive  to  things 
which  are  true  and  noble  and  pure.  Our  attainment  may  at 
times  be  very  slow,  even  to  the  point  of  discouragement, 
but  so  long  as  our  attitude  toward  Jesus  Christ  is  one  of 
eager  desire  to  win  His  approval  and  of  trust  in  His  ability 
to  make  good  with  His  promises,  we  are  saved. 

Ill 

The  beauty  of  the  method  of  salvation  just  spoken  of  is 
that  it  is  open  to  all.  Anyone  can  trust  another  if  he  has  con- 
fidence in  him.  But  we  must  go  further.  The  moral  task  still 
stares  a  man  in  the  face.  It  is  here  he  has  been  stumbling 
and  falling  all  his  life.  It  is  this  that  has  caused  him  re- 
morse and  bitterness,  that  has  broken  up  his  peace  a  thou- 
sand times,  and  almost  led  him  to  the  verge  of  despair.  "Con- 
science doth  make  cowards  of  us  all,"  and  unhappy,  despairing 
men  as  well.  The  religion  which  makes  such  claims  as  Chris- 
tianity ought  to  have  some  good  method  of  cracking  this 
hard  nut,  or  fall  to  the  level  of  other  religions  almost  bank- 
rupt morally. 

Now  it  will  be  clearly  understood  that  Christianity  does  not 
attain  its  end  by  lessening  the  moral  pressure.  Far  from  it 
— the  very  opposite  is  true.  No  religion  can  compare  with 
Christianity  in  moral  strenuousness.  Alohammedan  morality, 
and  Confucian,  and  Buddhist,  compared  point  by  point,  show 

147 


[XI-s]  THE  FAITHS  OP  MANKIXD 

the  uniqueness  of  the  Christian  position.  We  are  judged  not 
only  by  our  acts,  but  by  the  desires  and  thoughts  we  harbor. 
We  are  to  be  judged  by  the  most  rigorous  of  all  standards, 
that  of  love.  No  one  can  hold  his  head  up  when  such  tests 
are  applied.  The  pride  of  the  Rich  Young  Ruler  that  he 
had  kept  all  the  commandments  Jesus  cited  did  not  last,  when 
Jesus  probed  to  the  heart  of  his  indulgent  selfishness.  Our 
moral  ideal  constantly  recedes  as  we  make  progress.  It  keeps 
ahead  of  us  with  its  tantalizing  demands  until  in  despera- 
tion we  wonder  why  we  cannot  reach  the  summit. 

How  can  there  be  any  peace  or  gladness  in  such  a  religion, 
a  religion  which  is  always  demanding  more  than  we  can 
fulfil,  and  which  promises  this  kind  of  an  experience  to  the 
very  end?  There  are  two  things  Christianity  has  to  say  to 
us  in  this  strange  plight.  One  is  the  word  of  forgiveness. 
God  restores  the  old  relation  of  companionship  for  which  we 
were  intended.     That  is  the  "good  news"  of  Christianity. 

Now  God  could  be  convicted  of  immorality  in  His  forgive- 
ness, if  it  were  bestowed  on  anyone  who  was  not  in  the  moral 
battle  to  win.  Otherwise  He  would  be  implicated  in  wrong- 
doing by  passing  over  it  lightly.  Not  so  with  our  God,  the 
God  revealed  by  Jesus  Christ.  But  if  this  be  true,  the  wonder 
is  that  foreboding  and  discouragement  do  not  take  possession 
of  the  Christian  as  he  feels  his  weakness  and  looks  out  into 
the  days  to  come  with  their  temptations.  No  joy  over  God's 
forgiveness  could  last  in  such  a  chilly  atmosphere  of  appre- 
hension. What  is  there  to  do?  The  other  word  Christianity 
has  to  speak  is  Christ's  message  that  He  has  not  left  us  alone 
in  the  world,  but  has  sent  His  Spirit  everywhere  among  men 
to  be  their  Helper.  Invisible  yet  present  and  active,  this 
Holy  Spirit  makes  His  abode  in  the  lives  of  Christian  men 
and  women  as  a  kind  of  moral  and  spiritual  dynamic.  He 
helps  them  to  do  what  would  otherwise  be  impossible. 

IV 

Christianity  does  more  than  this.  It  reveals  a  God  who  is 
at  the  same  time  a  Father.     Does  that  sound  commonplace? 

148 


DREAM  OF  RELIGION  COME  TRUE      [XI-s] 

We  do  hear  it  very  often  these  days,  but  do  people  really 
understand  what  it  means  when  God  is  spoken  of  as  Father? 
He  is  far  more  than  father  in  the  ordinary  sense ;  He  is  father 
in  that  He  was  like  Jesus.  This  revelation  was  made  in  the 
only  manner  in  which  men  could  understand  it.  It  was 
made  in  human  form,  in  the  language  men  spoke.  In  Jesus 
Christ  we  see  God  come  down  as  a  man  among  us.  He  passed 
through  a  human  experience  among  us,  and  we  see  Him  in 
our  own  light  and  hear  Him  in  our  own  tongue.  In  Jesus 
Christ  we  see  manhood  at  its  best ;  we  see  also  God  liv- 
ing a  human  life.  Mr.  Lloyd  George  was  once  enjoying  one 
of  his  trips  to  his  native  Welsh  hills  and  valleys.  He  was 
asked  how  it  was  he  understood  so  well  and  sympathized 
so  completely  with  the  cottagers  in  the  little  villages.  His 
answer  was  that  he  knew  what  it  meant  to  look  out  at  the 
world  from  the  inside,  through  those  cottage  windows.  In 
Jesus  Christ  God  was  looking  out  at  our  world  from  our  own 
human  cottage  windows.  So  He  understands  and  sympathizes 
with  us  completely  because  He  knows,  not  so  much  by  the 
divine  and  majestic  attribute  of  omniscience,  as  by  experience. 
Our  God  was  revealed  perfectly  by  Jesus  Christ,  so  He  is 
a  Christ-like  God. 

Now  this  is  what  all  the  world's  a-seeking — to  know  God. 
It  is  the  deepest  longing  in  the  human  breast.  We  may  see 
this  at  a  point  we  should  scarcely  think  of  as  giving  us  light 
here.  What  is  the  real  meaning  of  image  worship,  of  idols? 
It  must  be  based  on  some  innate  desire,  some  fundamental 
need  of  men.  Is  it  not  to  have  a  God  brought  near?  to  have 
something  tangible  and  visible  to  make  God  real  to  their 
minds?  This  is  surely  a  worthy  desire.  See  how  Christianity 
meets  this  need  fully  in  Jesus  Christ.  Paul  speaks  of  "Christ, 
who  is  the  image  of  God"  (II  Cor.  4:4),  and  the  author  of 
the  Epistle  tb  the  Hebrews  speaks  of  Jesus,  "the  Son,"  as 
"the  very  image  of  his  substance"  (Heb.  1:3).  Yes,  men 
want  to  know  God  in  a  manner  and  form  they  can  understand. 
They  zv'iU  have  an  image.  The  one  essential  of  an  image  is 
that    it    worthily    and    adequately    represent    its    object,    and 

149 


[XI-s]  THE  I'AITIIS  or  MANKIND 

here  all  man-made  idols  fall  down.  Is  God  such  as  they 
have  pictured?  If  so,  what  a  God  He  must  be!  No  wonder 
the  non-Christian  religions  are  inadequate.  But  in  Jesus 
Christ  we  have  a  perfect  image  of  the  one  loving  God,  and 
when  wc  see  Him  we  sec  God  as  He  is. 


Christianity  points  to  a  cross,  which  symbolizes  its  victory 
over  the  world's  suffering  and  sin.  It  is  the  preaching  of  the 
cross  that  breaks  the  heart  of  stone.  Sin  and  suffering  are 
everywhere.  And  a  religion  making  universal  claims  must 
qualify  here,  or  be  out  of  the  running.  We  live  not  in  an 
ideal  world,  full  of  beauty  and  goodness,  but  in  a  disordered 
world,  full  of  misgiving  and  malice  and  sorrow. 

We  might  debate  how  much  of  the  suffering  in  the  world 
is  the  result  of  wrongdoing,  and  come  to  different  conclusions. 
But  since  things  are  as  they  are,  a  religion  is  bound  to  deal 
with  sin,  and  do  it  in  such  a  way  as  to  give  men  hope.  Until 
we  begin  to  see  the  problem  as  God  does,  we  cannot  appre- 
ciate the  meaning  of  that  feature  of  Christianity  which  down 
through  the  Christian  ages  has  been  its  chief  basis  of  appeal. 

The  life  and  death  of  Jesus  Christ  and  His  rising  again 
was  God's  response  to  man's  need.  Jesus  Christ  suffered  and 
died;  He  sounded  to  the  depth  the  meaning  of  human  suffer- 
ing and  sin.  Is  there  any  wonder  He  could  say  as  He  did, 
with  this  whole  experience  in  view,  "Be  of  good  cheer;  I  have 
overcome  the  world"  (John  i6:  jiZ)  ?  He  had  passed  through 
and  was  victorious.  The  assurance  of  all  for  which  we  strive 
lies  in  the  power  of  the  living  Christ,  who  went  to  the  bottom 
of  the  pit  and  rose  again  the  victor. 

The  great  barrier  between  God  and  man  was  the  fact  that 
man  had  sinned.  Sin  is  like  dust  in  the  eyes,  it  cuts  off  our 
view.  Man  lost  sight  of  God  and  became  a  wstnderer  in  the 
world.  Everything  was  askew  because  God  and  man  were 
not  friends.  With  all  their  attempts,  the  great  religious 
leaders  of  the  world  could  not  bring  about  the  kind  of  con- 
tact which  would  seal  a  friendship.     This  Jesus  did. 

150 


DREAM  OF  RELIGION  COME  TRUE      [XI-s] 

It  is  in  Christ's  death  on  the  cross  that  we  arrive  at  the 
heart  of  the  reconciHation.  Sin  was  so  terrible  that  Jesus 
died— not  in  the  ordinary  sense,  for  He  gave  up  his  life. 
There  was  purpose  and  meaning  in  it  for  Him  and,  if  we  will, 
for  us.  If  sin  was  so  terrible  that  it  was  necessary  for  Christ 
to  give  up  His  very  life,  how  great  must  have  been  the  love 
of  God  in  sending  His  Son  for  this  very  purpose!  If  sin  was 
so  terrible,  what  a  necessity  rested  upon  God  to  make  it 
appear  dreadful  by  such  a  sacrifice,  in  order  to  save  His 
forgiveness  of  sin  from  becoming  cheap!  How  much  farther 
Christianity  penetrates  to  the  inner  meaning  of  the  world's 
malady  than  any  other  religion !  What  other  religion  can 
burst  out  in  praise  like  this:  "O  death,  where  is  thy  victory? 
O  death,  where  is  thy  sting?  The  sting  of  death  is  sin;  and 
the  power  of  sin  is  the  law :  but  thanks  be  to  God,  who  giveth 
us  the  victory  through  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ"  (I  Cor. 
15:55-57). 

VI 

Such  a  religion  is  universal — not  because  Jesus  Christ  issued 
a  command  to  carry  His  Gospel  to  the  ends  of  the  earth,  but 
because  it  fits  the  needs  of  men.  It  is  all  summed  up  in  the 
life  and  character  of  Jesus  Christ — our  religion  is  essen- 
tially what  its  name  indicates,  the  religion  of  Christ,  Chris- 
tianity. Paradoxical  as  it  may  seem,  the  only  way  to  make 
democracy  safe  is  to  make  Jesus  King  in  the  hearts  of  men. 
He  is  the  world's  only  hope,  because  He  is  the  only  figure  who 
looms  up  larger  than  Confucius  or  Buddha  or  Moses  or  Mo- 
hammed. None  greater  than  they  have  lived,  yet  how  full  of 
mistakes  and  failures  !  Yet  here  is  Jesus,  immaculate  in  His 
purity  and  stainless  in  all  His  deeds. 

Thou  alone,  Oh  "Crystal  Christ,"  art  worthy  to  lead  all  the 
world's  noblest. 

Suggestions  for  Thought  and  Discussion 

I.     The  Bible  and  Man 

Try  to    formulate  all   the  biblical  passages   have  to   say 
151 


[XI-s]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MANKIND 

about  man.  In  what  respects  is  he  to  be  blamed  for  his 
present  condition?  What  kind  of  a  start  did  he  have? 
What  is  his  hope? 

II.  Religions  True  and  Incomplete 

What  does  the  presence  of  truth  in  all  religions  indicate? 
What  is  the  central  fact  about  a  religion,  the  fact  that  de- 
termines its  position  ?  Why  cannot  we  succeed  in  mak- 
ing a  religion  out  of  all  the  true  things  in  all  religions? 

III.  The  Appeal  of  Christianity 

What  is  there  which  is  attractive  about  the  Christian 
method  of  being  saved?  How  is  salvation  attempted  in 
other  religions?  How  can  a  man  who  wants  to  live  the 
Christian  life  look  forward  with  joy,  when  he  knows  he 
is  weak  and  has  so  often  failed  before?  How  does  Chris- 
tianity deal  with  the  problem  caused  by  sin?  What  makes 
such  a  religion  as  Christianity  essentially  universal? 

(Among  many  books,  such  a  volume  as  "The  Main 
Points,"  by  Dr.  Charles  Reynolds  Brown,  will  be  found 
most  stimulating.) 


152 


CHAPTER  XII 

WHAT  MANNER  OF  MAN  IS  THIS? 

The  world  has  had,  as  we  have  discovered,  a  number  of 
great  religious  leaders.  We  have  studied  Mohammed,  and 
Confucius,  and  Gautama  Buddha.  What  is  the  place  of  Jesus 
Christ  among  the  religious  geniuses  of  the  world?  Is  He  one 
among  many,  is  He  to  be  classified  with  others  even  though 
with  the  distinction  of  being  easily  first,  or  has  He  a  unique 
place  which  He  alone  occupies?  What  do  the  records  tell 
about  Him?  What  did  He  say  about  Himself?  What  im- 
pression did  He  make  upon  His  immediate  followers?  What 
has  been  accomplished  by  the  religion  He  founded?  What 
is   His  place  today? 

Daily  Readings 

First  Day:  The  way  was  not  unprepared  for  Jesus.  Had 
not  certain  of  the  Old  Testament  prophets  spoken  of  a 
"coming  one,"  a  Messiah,  who  would  be  the  Deliverer?  They 
had  not  labored  in  vain.  There  was  a  sense  of  expectancy, 
the  looked-for  Messiah  would  surely  come  soon. 

And  as  the  people  were  in  expectation,  and  all  men 
reasoned  in  their  hearts  concerning  John,  whether 
haply  he  were  the  Christ;  John  answered,  saying  unto 
them  all,  I  indeed  baptize  you  with  water;  but  there 
Cometh  he  that  is  mightier  than  I,  the  latchet  of 
whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  unloose:  he  shall 
baptize  you  in  the  Holy  Spirit  and  in  fire :  whose  fan 
is  in  his  hand,  thoroughly  to  cleanse  his  threshing- 
floor,  and  to  gather  the  wheat  into  his  garner;  but  the 
chafif  he  will  burn  up  with  unquenchable  fire. — Luke 
3:15-17. 

153 


[Xll-j]  TUB  FAITHS  Of  MANKIND 

John  introduced  Jesus  to  the  Jewish  people;  his  word  was, 
this  one,  this  very  man  Jesus,  is  He  who  is  to  fulfil  the  ex- 
pectations aroused  by  the  prophets. 

Second  Day:  Two  aspects  of  the  life  and  work  of  Christ 
are  to  be  presented  today. 

And  John  calling  unto  him  two  of  his  disciples  sent 
them  to  the  Lord,  saying,  Art  thou  he  that  cometh,  or 
look  we  for  another?  And  when  the  men  were  come 
unto  him,  they  said,  John  the  Baptist  hath  sent  us 
unto  thee,  saying,  Art  thou  he  that  cometh,  or  look 
we  for  another?  In  that  hour  he  cured  many  of 
diseases  and  plagues  and  evil  spirits;  and  on  many 
that  were  blind  he  bestowed  sight.  And  he  answered 
and  said  unto  them,  Go  and  tell  John  the  things  which 
ye  have  seen  and  heard  ;  the  blind  receive  their  sight, 
the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  and  the  deaf 
hear,  the  dead  are  raised  up,  the  poor  have  good  tid- 
ings preached  to  them.  And  blessed  is  he,  whosoever 
shall  find  no  occasion  of  stumbling  in  me. — Luke 
7:19-23- 


Has 
program 


civilization   ever  entered   into   the  meaning  of   such  a 
n?    Yet  it  was  the  program  of  Jesus. 


At  that  season  Jesus  answered  and  said,  I  thank 
thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  that  thou 
didst  hide  these  things  from  the  wise  and  understand- 
ing, and  didst  reveal  them  unto  babes :  yea.  Father, 
for  so  it  was  well-pleasing  in  thy  sight.  All  things 
have  been  delivered  unto  me  of  my  Father:  and  no 
one  knoweth  the  Son,  save  the  Father ;  neither  doth 
any  know  the  Father,  save  the  Son,  and  he  to  whom- 
soever the  Son  willeth  to  reveal  him.  Come  unto 
me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will 
give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of 
me ;  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart :  and  ye  shall 
find  rest  unto  your  souls.  For  my  yoke  is  easy,  and 
my  burden  is  light. — Matt.  1 1  :  25-30. 

154 


WHAT  MANNER  OF  MAN  IS  THISf    [XII-3] 

Jesus  knew  God  His  Father.  Has  anyone  ever  claimed  to 
share  such  knowledge  with  Jesus?  How  could  Jesus  know 
God  so  intimately? 

Third  Day:  Jesus  was  a  teacher.  He  spoke  words  out  of 
a  heart  of  sympathy  and  understanding.  He  attracted  men 
and  women  and  children  by  His  gentleness  and  consideration. 

And  all  bare  him  witness,  and  wondered  at  the 
words  of  grace  which  proceeded  out  of  his  mouth. — 
Luke  4 :  22. 

The  common  people  heard  him  gladly. — Mark 
12:37. 

More  than  that,  Jesus  spoke  with  authority. 

And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jesus  had  finished  these 
words,  the  multitudes  were  astonished  at  his  teach- 
ing: for  he  taught  them  as  one  having  authority,  and 
not  as  their  scribes. — Matt.  7 :  28,  29. 

The  people  who  heard  his  words  knew  by  an  unerring 
instinct  that  Jesus  had  the  right  to  teach  and  to  command. 

Fourth  Day  :  The  authority  Jesus  possessed  and  exercised 
was  founded  on  something  within  Himself.  Jesus  passed 
through  the  same  experience  of  temptation  as  we  do. 

For  in  that  he  himself  hath  sufifered  being  tempted, 
he  is  able  to  succor  them  that  are  tempted. — Heb. 
2:18. 

For  we  have  not  a  high  priest  that  cannot  be 
touched  with  the  feeling  of  our  infirmities;  but  one 
that  hath  been  in  all  points  tempted  like  as  we  are, 
yet  without  sin.  Let  us  therefore  draw  near  with 
boldness  unto  the  throne  of  grace,  that  we  may  re- 
ceive mercy,  and  may  find  grace  to  help  us  in  time 
of  need. — Heb.  4:  15,  16. 

Is  there  any  power  which  is  to  be  compared  with  the 
power   to   meet    all   temptation   triumphantly?     Jesus    throws 

155 


[XII-51  THE  FAITHS  OP  MANKIND 

out  this  startling  challenge,  "Which  of  you  convicteth  me 
of  sin?"  (John  8:  46).  Jesus  had  no  consciousness  of  sin, 
yet  His  moral  sensitiveness  surpassed  that  of  any  of  the 
sons  of  men.  He  was  like  us,  yet  what  a  gulf  lies  between 
Him  and  ourselves  I 

Fifth  Day:  Jesus  not  only  lived  a  unique  life;  He  died, 
and  in  the  estimate  of  His  followers  a  unique  significance 
attaches  to  His  death.  Then  He  rose  from  the  dead  and 
appeared  again  to  His  disciples. 

For  I  delivered  unto  you  first  of  all  that  which  also 
I  received :  that  Christ  died  for  our  sins  according 
to  the  scriptures ;  and  that  he  was  buried ;  and  that 
he  hath  been  raised  on  the  third  day  according  to  the 
scriptures ;  and  that  he  appeared  to  Cephas ;  then  to 
the  twelve ;  then  he  appeared  to  above  five  hundred 
brethren  at  once,  of  whom  the  greater  part  remain 
until  now,  but  some  are  fallen  asleep ;  then  he  ap- 
peared to  James ;  then  to  all  the  apostles ;  and  last  of 
all,  as  to  the  child  untimely  born,  he  appeared  to  me 
also.— I  Cor.  15:  3-8. 

This  was  the  Gospel  of  the  early  Church — "so  we  preach 
and  so  ye  believed."  Is  there  any  wonder  that  Easter  stands 
out  as  the  most  significant  of  all  the  days  of  the  Christian 
year  ? 

Sixth  Day:  Not  only  were  the  disciples  convinced  that 
Jesus  was  alive,  and  "alive  for  evermore";  they  were  also 
conscious  of  His  continued  activity.  He  was  present  with 
them  though  unseen,  doing  His  characteristic  work. 

Howbeit  what  things  were  gain  to  me,  these  have 
I  c6unted  loss  for  Christ.  Yea  verily,  and  I  count  all 
things  to  be  loss  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge 
of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord:  for  whom  I  suffered  the 
loss  of  all  things,  and  do  count  them  but  refuse, 
that  I  may  gain  Christ,  and  be  found  in  him,  not  hav- 
ing a  righteousness  of  mine  own,  even  that  which  is 

156 


WHAT  MANNER  OF  MAN  IS  THIS?    [XII-7] 

of  the  law,  but  that  which  is  through  faith  in  Christ, 
the  righteousness  which  is  from  God  by  faith  :  that  I 
may  know  him,  and  the  power  of  his  resurrection, 
and  the  fellowship  of  his  sufferings,  becoming  con- 
formed unto  his  death ;  if  by  any  means  I  may  at- 
tain unto  the  resurrection  from  the  dead. — Phil, 
3:7-11- 

Here  we  have  the  testimony  of  Paul,  who  had  met  Jesus 
first  on  the  road  to  Damascus. 

Whom  not  having  seen  ye  love;  on  whom,  though 
now  ye  see  him  not,  yet  believing,  ye  rejoice  greatly 
with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory:  receiving  the 
end  of  your  faith,  even  the  salvation  of  your  souls. 
—I  Peter  1:8,  9. 

This  was  the  experience  of  the  vacillating  Peter,  who  had 
become  rock-like.  And  what  shall  we  say  of  the  same  Lord 
Jesus,  when  men  and  women  around  us  are  finding  the  same 
things   true   of  themselves? 

Seventh  Day  :  Jesus,  then,  was  Saviour  as  well  as  Risen 
Lord.    The  writers  of  the  New  Testament  went  even  further. 

Who  delivered  us  out  of  the  power  of  darkness, 
and  translated  us  into  the  kingdom  of  the  Son  of 
his  love ;  in  whom  we  have  our  redemption,  the  for- 
giveness of  our  sins:  who  is  the  image  of  the  invis- 
ible God,  the  firstborn  of  all  creation ;  for  in  him 
were  all  things  created,  in  the  heavens  and  upon  the 
earth,  things  visible  and  things  invisible,  whether 
thrones  or  dominions  or  principalities  or  powers  ;  all 
things  have  been  created  through  him,  and  unto  him; 
and  he  is  before  all  things,  and  in  him  all  things 
consist.  And  he  is  the  head  of  the  body,  the  church : 
who  is  the  beginning,  the  firstborn  from  the  dead ; 
that  in  all  things  he  might  have  the  preeminence.  For 
it  was  the  good  pleasure  of  the  Father  that  in  him 
should  all  the  fulness  dwell. — Col.  i  :  13-19. 

157 


tXll-sj  THE  r.MTlIS  or  MAXKIXD 

Think  of  some  of  these  phrases,  "the  image  of  the  invis- 
ible God,"  "all  things  have  been  created  through  him,  and 
unto  him."  "in  all  things  he  might  have  the  preeminence," 
"in  him  should  all  the  fulness  dwell."  Jesus  made  such  an 
impression  on  His  followers  that  in  sheer  honesty  they  were 
compelled  to  make  some  change  in  their  idea  of  God  Him- 
self. The  best  they  could  say  about  God,  now  that  they 
had  seen  Jesus,  was  that  God  must  be  like  Him.  They 
went  even  a  stej^  further  and  linked  Jesus  with  God  so 
intimately  in  their  thought  and  in  their  language  that  they 
found  themselves  treating  Jesus  just  as  they  did  God  Himself. 

Study  for  the  Week 

I 

Christianity  is  the  religion  of  Christ.  The  most  superficial 
glance  over  the  churches  which  call  themselves  Christian 
reveals  one  fact,  that  they  are  one  in  loyalty  to  Jesus  Christ. 

In  their  common  loyalty  to  Jesus  Christ  all  these  bodies, 
Roman  Catholic,  Greek,  and  Protestant,  have  certain  fea- 
tures in  common.  Their  practice  and  worship  vary  greatly, 
but  still  give  evidence  of  a  common  origin.  Worship  and 
praise  are  offered  to  Jesus  Christ  by  all  alike.  Each  is  jeal- 
ous of  its  loyalty  to  Him  and  would  scout  the  suggestion  that 
any  practice  or  belief  is  out  of  harmony  with  His  will  and 
purpose.  The  same  Bible  is  looked  upon  as  containing  an 
authoritative  deposit  of  faith  and  practice.  Two  sacraments, 
baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper,  have  been  preserved  by  all, 
save  a  few  small  Protestant  bodies. 

In  belief  the  likeness  is  even  more  striking.  Certain  prim- 
itive doctrines  are  accepted  by*  all.  All  have  held  during  the 
centuries  to  belief  in  God  and  in  His  existence  in  a  Trinity, 
and  all  have  strenuously  defended  the  reality  of  the  incarna- 
tion of  God  in  Jesus  Christ.  All  have  continued  to  believe 
in  a  special  significance  as  attaching  to  His  death  and  His 
resurrection.  Forgiveness  of  sins  is  proclaimed  in  His  name. 
The  presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit  guiding  and  giving  strength 

158 


WHAT  MANNER  OF  MAN  IS  THIS?    [XII-s] 

to  men  and  leading  the  Church  in  its  course  is  a  doctrine 
maintained  wherever  Christians  are  to  be  found.  With  all 
their  differences  and  their  inability  to  unite,  the  truth  seems 
to  be  that  Christianity  is  not  so  seriously  divided  either  in 
belief  or  practice  as  other  great  religions,  like  Islam  and 
Buddhism. 

II 

The  most  significant  historical  and  geographical  fact  relative 
to  Christianity  is  that  more  than  any  other  "faith  it  has  justi- 
fied its  claim  to  be  a  world  religion.  It  is  found  literally 
the  world  over.  Jesus  Christ  was  a  Jew  and  He  built  His 
religion  on  a  Semitic  foundation.  His  immediate  followers 
were  all  Jews  and  their  early  preaching  was  at  first  ex- 
clusively to  members  of  their  own  race.  Paul,  the  "apostle 
to  the  Gentiles,"  was  the  first  who  saw  with  eye  undimmed 
the  universal  outlook  of  his  Master,  Jesus  Christ,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  carrying  the  great  majority  of  the  Church  with  him 
in  breaking  down  all  the  barriers  between  Jew  and  Gentile 
in  the  new  Church.  With  Paul  Christianity  started  on  its 
career  as  the  religion  of  the  peoples  of  Europe.  These 
peoples  were  conquered  by  the  new  religion,  so  that  from  an 
early  day  the  prevailing  features  of  Christianity  have  been 
European  and  not  Semitic  and  Asiatic. 

The  story  would  be  a  long  one,  were  we  to  recount  the 
whole  history  of  the  conquest  of  the  European  races  by 
Christianity.  Two  great  stages  mark  the  course  of  the  ad- 
vance. The  first  may  be  said  to  extend  from  the  day  of 
Pentecost,  when  Peter  preached  the  first  evangelistic  Chris- 
tian sermon  in  Jerusalem,  to  the  Council  of  Nicea  in  325, 
when,  under  summons  of  the  Emperor  Constantine,  who 
had  accepted  the  once  despised  Cross  of  Jesus  Christ  as  his 
emblem,  the  first  great  Christian  council  met  to  unify  Chris- 
tian belief  and  practice,  as  the  Emperor  had  just  succeeded 
in  uniting  the  Empire  politically.  In  large  districts  of  the 
eastern  part  of  the  Empire,  notably  the  whole  of  Asia  Alinor, 
Christianity  was  the  dominant  religion.     In  other  places  the 

159 


[XII-s]  THE  FAITHS  OF  MANKIND 

new  faith  was  not  so  strong,  but  in  every  place  it  was  the 
growing,  enthusiastic  faith.  The  future  was  hers.  In  ways 
unknown  by  us  today  little  churches  had  been  started  in 
every  part  of  the  Mediterranean  littoral  and  even  as  far 
away  as  distant  Britain.  The  significance  of  Constantine's 
act  in  making  Christianity  the  officially  recognized  religion 
of  the  Empire  lies  in  the  fact  that  he  was  keen  enough  to  see 
what  the  actual  conditions  were,  that  the  only  hope  of  his 
uniting  a  divided  Empire  was  to  make  use  of  the  single  force 
which  was  an  eflfective  bond  of  union.  Christianity  was  found 
everywhere  and  the  Christians  were  bound  together  in  a 
brotherhood  as  strong  as  bands  of  steel. 


Ill 

What  was  the  secret  of  this  remarkable  achievement?  The 
most  famous  answer  is  the  five-fold  summary  of  Edward 
Gibbon :  "I.  The  inflexible  and  .  ,  .  intolerant  zeal  of  the 
Christians.  ...  II.  The  doctrine  of  a  future  life.  .  .  . 
III.  The  miraculous  powers  ascribed  to  the  primitive  Church. 
I\'.  The  pure  and  austere  morals  of  the  Christians.  V.  The 
union  and  discipline  of  the  Christian  republic."  But  were 
we  to  have  talked  with  one  of  those  early  Christians,  a  very 
different  story  would  have  been  told.  Jesus  would  be  the 
burden  of  his  message — had  He  not  spoken  peace  to  his  soul? 
Had  He  not  saved  him  from  the  evil  life  which  had  been  his? 
Had  He  not  brought  happiness  and  unselfish  consideration 
into  his  dealings  with  his  wife  and  children?  Did  He  not 
hold  out  to  him  the  promise  of  eternal  life  when  this  short 
life  was  ended?  Listen  to  the  words  of  the  venerable  Poly- 
carp  before  the  tribunal,  when  asked  to  deny  his  Lord  and 
thus  save  himself  from  the  lions,  ''Fourscore  and  six  years 
have  I  been  serving  Him,  and  He  hath  done  me  no  wrong; 
how  then  can  I  blaspheme  the  King  who  saved  me?"  When 
all  the  facts  are  taken  into  view,  the  truer  account  of  the 
success  of  the  Christian  Church  during  these  three  hundred 
years  would  be  to  say  that  the  presence  of  the  living  Christ 

1 60 


WHAT  MANNER  OF  MAN  IS  THIS?    [XII-s] 

in  the  hearts  of  His  people  made  possible  what  otherwise 
would  be  entirely  unintelligible.  There  was  a  new  power 
in  the  world.  Not  merely  a  new  doctrine  to  teach,  nor  a 
new  rule  of  life  to  practice,  but  a  living  Person  energizing 
all  their  thoughts  and  actions,  was  transforming  the  world 
before  their  eyes. 

Is  there  any  wonder,  then,  that*  during  all  these  formative 
years  the  Church  was  continually  asking  itself,  "What  manner 
of  man  is  this?"  This  Jesus  now  living  within  them  and 
filling  them  with  a  glory  they  had  never  thought  possible 
among  men,  this  Jesus,  whose  life  and  teaching  and  death 
and  resurrection  are  given  in  the  gospels  and  interpreted  in 
the  letters  of  their  beloved  apostles,  could  be  no  ordinary 
being.  They  worked  at  the  problem  with  all  their  intellectual 
and  moral  and  spiritual  powers.  No  human  analogies  were 
capable  of  expressing  what  Jesus  Christ  meant  to  them,  and 
yet  they  must  be  able  to  tell  of  His  wonders  and  His  grace. 
And  so  they  made  definitions  and  formed  creeds.  Many,  in 
attempting  to  simplify  and  make  more  clear  their  meaning, 
fell  below  what  the  main  body  of  the  Church  thought  ade- 
quate. They  were  dealt  with  roughly  at  times,  far  too  roughly 
in  our  estimation.  Many  centuries  were  to  pass  before  men 
learned  the  lesson  of  Christian  tolerance.  The  Church  in 
this  early  day  was  deeply  exercised  over  the  honor  to  be 
paid  to  Christ.  They  looked  upon  it  as  a  matter  of  life 
and  death.  All  they  had  came  from  Him.  He  was  regis- 
tering His  presence  in  their  lives  every  day,  and  they  must 
give  Him  the  honor  which  His  deeds  in  their  lives  and  in 
the  Church  demanded.  Nothing  less  than  His  preeminence 
would  satisfy  them.  Their  experience  led  them  to  fall  down 
before  Jesus  with  the  exclamation  of  the  apostle  Thomas, 
"My  Lord  and  My  God." 

IV 

The  second  stage  of  the  Christian  conquest  of  the  European 
people  falls  in  the  Middle  Ages.  The  feat  accomplished  by  the 
Christian  Church  during  these  centuries  was  the  winning  of 

i6i 


[XII-s]  THE  F.  I  IT  IIS  OF  M.IXKIXD 

northern  Europe  to  the  Church.  When  the  period  opened, 
the  center  of  European  civilization  was  on  the  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean;  when  it  closed,  the  scene  had  shifted  to  the 
Xorth.  The  gift  of  Christianity  to  northern  Europe  was 
not  only  a  new  and  satisfying  religion,  but  civilization  itself. 
The  history  of  northern  Europe  virtually  begins  with  the 
coming  of  the  religion  of  Christ. 

A  very  different  picture  presents  itself  in  this  period  from 
that  in  the  old  Empire,  when  the  early  Church  was  making 
its  influence  felt.  Christianity,  in  a  way  not  true  in  the 
old  day,  is  dominated  by  the  Church.  Did  we  say  that  men 
were  won  to  Christ  in  the  days  of  the  Empire?  It  would  be 
truer  of  the  Middle  Ages  to  say  that  they  were  won  to  the 
Church.  Not  that  Christ  had  been  forgotten,  but  that,  as 
His  representative  on  earth,  the  Church  of  Christ  obscured 
to  a  greater  or  less  degree  the  vision  of  the  Christ  Him- 
self. Men  were  more  anxious  to  obey  the  behests  of  the 
Church  than  to  listen  to  the  voice  of  Christ  within  and  to 
study  the  tale  of  His  life  as  found  in  the  simplicity  of  the 
gospel  story.  Unsurpassed  heroism  was  manifested  by  a 
thousand  devoted  missionaries,  whose  relation  to  Christ  in 
many  cases  was  beautiful  to  behold.  But  with  it  all  the 
presence  of  a  dominant  Church  made  a  great  difference. 
Nominal  conversions,  formalism,  insistence  on  outward  con- 
formity took  the  place  of  vital  contact  with  the  living  Christ 
in  so  many  cases  that  they  became  characteristic  of  the 
period.  Add  to  this  the  use  of  coercion  to  force  unwill- 
ing peoples  into  the  Church  and  the  tale  of  an  unfortunate 
period  is  complete.  Northern  Europe  was  won,  won  to 
the  Church  and  to  at  least  a  nominal  acceptance  of  the  teach- 
ings of  Christianity,  but  much  was  left  to  be  desired. 

V 

Is  there  any  wonder  a  Reformation  was  needed?  Chris- 
tianity languished  and  was  well-nigh  sick  unto  death,  when 
the  great  change  came  in  the  Protestant  Reformation  of  the 
sixteenth    century,    under    the    leadership    of    Martin    Luther. 

162 


WHAT  MANNER  OF  MAN  IS  THIS?    [XII-s] 

What  was  the  great  religious  significance  of  this  upheaval, 
under  whose  influence  we  still  live?  Again  it  is  concerned 
with  the  great  center  of  the  Christian  faith,  Christ  Himself — 
not  now  to  settle  the  question  of  His  dignity  and  the  honor 
which  is  His  due,  but  to  secure  the  access  to  Him  which  the 
human  soul  demands.  The  Christ  was  a  living  Christ,  to  be 
sure,  but  the  Church  stood  between  the  individual  believer 
and  his  Saviour.  Forgiveness  could  come  only  through 
priestly  absolution.  The  Church  was  the  necessary  channel  of 
communion  between  the  believer  and  Christ.  Now  the  gisf 
of  the  Reformation  is  that  any  human  being  may  have  imme- 
diate contact  with  the  living  Christ,  irrespective  of  church  or 
creed  or  ceremony  or  priest.  Protestantism  has  stood  for 
this  one  vital  thing.  It  has  considered  it  a  matter  of  life 
and  death  to  keep  the  channel  of  communication  between 
Christ  and  the  believer  securely  open  and  unobstructed. 

So  earnest  have  Protestants  been  to  protect  the  rights  of 
the  individual  believer,  to  see  to  it  that  no  authoritative  hier- 
archy or  assembly  dominate  the  life  and  prevent  the  free 
movement  of  the  human  soul  in  its  approach  to  Christ,  that 
all  kinds  of  splits  have  taken  place.  No  matter  how  small  the 
difference,  a  new  church  must  be  formed  to  give  expression 
to  the  particular  truth  which  had  been  discovered.  So  far 
has  this  been  carried  that  all  earnest  minds  in  our  day  are 
turning  in  the  opposite  direction,  and  seeking  ways  and  means 
by  which  lesser  differences  can  be  laid  aside  or  placed  in 
their  rightful  place  of  unimportance.  By  emphasizing  the 
points  of  likeness,  the  day  is  being  looked  for  when  there 
may  be  a  return  to  greater  unity  than  now  exists.  To  this 
end  every  Christian  should  work  and  pray.  Is  it  not  in  line 
with  our  Lord's  thought  when  He  prayed  that  all  His  fol- 
lowers might  be  one? 

VI 

Since  the  Reformation,  and  in  these  latter  days,  Christianity 
is  proving  in  a  more  marked  degree  than  ever  before  its 
universal   claims.     The   missionaries   of  the   Cross   of    Christ 

163 


[XII-s]  THE  FAITHS  Of-  MANKIXD 

have  gone  to  all  lands  and  have  established  the  Church  among 
all  peoples.  Mohammedans  have  been  converted,  as  have  high 
caste  Hindus,  Chinese  literati,  and  patriotic  Japanese.  No 
other  classes  are  more  antagonistic  to  the  gospel  message  than 
these,  yet  representatives  of  all  have  kneeled  down  to  do 
homage  to  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  In  many 
lands  and  in  divers  tongues  the  name  of  Jesus  is  sung  by 
children  and  His  power  to  save  proclaimed  by  men  and 
women,  whose  first  ray  of  light  in  the  midst  of  heathen 
darkness  came  from  the  story  of  His  love  and  sacrifice. 

The  seedtime  lasted  long  and  is  not  yet  complete,  the  first 
fruits  have  appeared  in  nearly  every  land,  and  now  rich  re- 
wards are  appearing.  Nothing  fills  the  heart  of  the  Chris- 
tian with  more  joy  and  confidence  for  the  future  than  the 
spirit  of  unity  which  fills  the  breasts  of  those  who  have  been 
won  to  Jesus  Christ.  With  comparatively  little  interest  in 
the  differences  which  have  kept  believers  apart  in  Europe 
and  America,  they  are  asking  with  increasing  emphasis  why 
they  should  be  kept  apart  when  they  feel  that  they  are 
brothers  together.  Do  they  not  sing  and  pray  together  and 
work  and  live  together?  Why  then  should  they  be  kept  apart? 
It  is  a  wonderful  testimony  they  bear  to  the  unity  of  be- 
lievers in  Christ,  untouched  by  the  influences  which  have 
kept  the  churches  in  Christendom  apart. 

VII 

Finally,  what  manner  of  man  is  this  that  such  results  have 
flowed  from  the  preaching  of  His  name?  His  word  has 
proved  to  be  true  in  actual  practice,  "I  am  the  way,  the  truth, 
and  the  life."  Christianity  means  many  things  in  theory  and 
practice,  but  all  that  is  truly  and  necessarily  Christian  may 
be  summed  up  in  one  word,  Christ.  Christ  is  the  living  center 
of  His  own  religion  and  is  the  standard  by  which  everything 
must  be  judged.  All  else  takes  on  value  as  it  finds  some  place 
of  usefulness  in  relation  to  Him.  In  a  very  true  sense  Chris- 
tianity is  Christ.    And  just  as  clearly  as  men  heard  His  voice 

164 


WHAT  MANNER  Of  MAN  IS  THIS?     [XII-sJ 

on  the  Galilean  hills  they  may  hear  His  summons  today.  He 
would  woo  them  to  Himself  so  that  they  might  feel  the 
warmth  of  His  love  and  catch  the  fervor  of  His  spirit.  He 
would  send  them  out  into  a  wild  and  fear-tossed  world  with 
His  word  of  courage  and  kindness  and  power.  This  is  the 
message  of  the  Christ.    Do  we  hear?     Do  we  heed? 

Suggestions  for  Thought  and  Discussion 

I.    Jesus  Christ  in  the  Bible 

What  expectations  did  the  Old  Testament  create  in  antic- 
ipation of  the  coming  of  a  Messiah,  a  Deliverer?  Why 
were  the  Jews  disappointed  when  Jesus  appeared?  What 
differentiates  Jesus  from  other  characters?  What  was  the 
source  of  His  inspiration  and  authority?  What  do  we  mean 
when  we  say  that  Jesus  is  alive  today?  How  do  we  know 
it? 

n.    Jesus  Christ  in  Human  History 

Trace  the  course  of  Christian  history  to  see  how  the 
knowledge  of  Jesus  has  been  carried  to  the  ends  of  the 
earth.  What  is  the  secret  of  this  expansion?  Does  it  shed 
any  light  on  the  kind  of  person  Jesus  is?  Why  did  the 
Church  attempt  to  formulate  a  doctrine  about  Jesus  Christ? 
Why  are  we  trying  to  do  the  same  thing  today? 

HI.    Jesus  Christ  and  the  World's  Need 

What  may  we  hope  Jesus  may  be  able  to  do  in  the  world 
today  in  view  of  the  story  of  the  past?  What  is  the  part 
men  must  play  to  make  His  work  effective?  What  connec- 
tion is  there  between  the  unity  of  the  Church  and  its  work 
in  the  world?     How  best  can  we  honor  Jesus  Christ? 

("The  Jesus  of  History,"  by  Prof.  T.  R.  Glover,  will  help 
the  discussion  of  this  chapter  greatly.) 


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